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We've added Multiple Favorites to Varsity Stats

You can now have more than one favorite in the NewsOK Varsity Stats app. Multiple favorites gives you quick and easy access to all of your favorite Football teams.

Clicking on the "Make Favorite" button at the top of any team page will add that team to your list of favorites.

Accessing Favorites
Once you have chosen at least one favorite (or if you already had a favorite), you will have a new menu option "My Team". This menu will give you quick access to all of your favorite teams.

There is also a new "My Teams Page", in the "My Teams" menu, click the option "My Teams (Favorites) Page", this will take you to the "My Teams" page where yoy can get a quick overview of your teams. Clicking on any of the teams listed here will take you to that teams page.

Managing Favorites
On the new "My Teams Page", click the "Edit My Teams" button. You can delete any of the teams you no longer want to keep as a favorite.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Nick Hundley started last season in San Diego, finished it in Baltimore and then signed with Colorado.A dizzying year for the veteran catcher? Not so much for the son of a college football coach."That's something I'm used to," Hundley said Monday. "I went to four elementary schools, four high schools."When deciding where to sign over the winter, Hundley remembered...

Rockies turn to Hundley, son of a coach, to guide pitchers

By MIKE CRANSTON, Associated Press | Mar 2, 2015

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Nick Hundley started last season in San Diego, finished it in Baltimore and then signed with Colorado.
A dizzying year for the veteran catcher? Not so much for the son of a college football coach.
"That's something I'm used to," Hundley said Monday. "I went to four elementary schools, four high schools."
When deciding where to sign over the winter, Hundley remembered fondly being a teenager in Boulder when his father, Tim, was the defensive line coach at Colorado from 1996-98.
The 31-year-old Hundley said he told his agent to put the Rockies at the top of the list.
The Rockies, desperate for better defense and a steady hand to work with their troubled pitching staff, pounced. Colorado called on the first day of free agency and they agreed on a two-year, $6.25 million deal.
"We did a lot of homework on Nick, and there's a reason why we went out and got him," manager Walt Weiss said.
"He really takes pride in being able to connect with the staff and run a staff, to get a staff through a tough inning or a tough game," Weiss said. "Those are his strengths."
The Rockies need all those things. During a 2014 season marred by injuries, Colorado used 15 starting pitchers and sported the majors' highest ERA at 4.84 on the way to 96 losses.
While former starting catcher Wilin Rosario has hit 62 home runs over the past three seasons, he's also collected 42 passed balls. He threw out seven of 44 base stealers last season.
The Rockies decided to trade offense for better defense. Rosario, who has acknowledged he could be traded, will get work at first base and is no longer a lock for the 25-man roster. Michael McKenry is also contending for the backup job.
Hundley is eager for the chance to be an everyday catcher after losing that job in San Diego before he was traded in May. He got to experience the postseason for the first time last year with the Orioles, while hitting a combined .243 with six home runs.
But his defense is what the Rockies coveted. He's known as a good framer of pitches and has only 32 passed balls in 516 games.
"Always having a good catcher is going to benefit the team," closer LaTroy Hawkins said. "I've heard great things about him. He can definitely throw runners out."
Hundley is meticulous in learning pitchers, watching video and gathering information from various sources for hitter scouting reports. Those traits could come from his dad.
Tim Hundley has been at it for more than 40 years, most recently at UNLV. And that meant a lot of moving for his family.
Nick Hundley was born when his father was at Oregon State. He finished high school in the Seattle area when his father was at Washington. He also spent some of his childhood in Los Angeles (UCLA) and Boulder, when Tim Hundley worked for former Buffaloes coach Rick Neuheisel.
That drew him to Denver, along with what he thinks is the potential of a maligned pitching staff that's getting healthy.
"I don't look at last year. I don't think that's very conducive to what we're doing," Hundley said. "I think the stuff that people in this room possess is on par with anybody in the league. So if we can go and command that stuff, I think we'll be really tough to beat."
NOTES: SS Troy Tulowitzki (hip) and RF Carlos Gonzalez (knee) ran the bases Monday for the first time since their surgeries. Weiss said they could appear in spring games earlier than expected, but declined to set dates. ... Tulowitzki and Gonzalez ran before rain moved most of the workout indoors. ... The Rockies will hold an intrasquad scrimmage Tuesday. ... Jordan Lyles will start Wednesday's Cactus League opener against Arizona. Jhoulys Chacin, Kyle Kendrick and Jorge De La Rosa are scheduled to start the following three days.

Two thumbs up to Lamar University athletic director Jason Henderson for doing right by Pat Foster and saluting him with a Montagne Center banner noting his considerable accomplishments as Cardinals basketball coach for six amazing years in the 1980s. The recognition was long overdue to the point of being an embarrassment, but that can’t be blamed on Henderson. Several previous Lamar ADs failed...

Numerous stories about letters and letter jackets came to The Oklahoman after a story last month about a lost letter jacket that had been found. Here are a few of our favorites.

Readers share their letter jacket stories

By Jenni Carlson, Staff Writer | Feb 28, 2015

Numerous stories about letters and letter jackets came to The Oklahoman after a story last month about a lost letter jacket that had been found. Here are a few of our favorites:
Mary M. Chase, Oklahoma City
The 92-year-old sent a story of her husband, Ofas O. Goad.
“He graduated from Yeager High School in Hughes County in 1938. He was a four-year letterman in basketball and track, but (he did not receive) a jacket but a maroon-colored V-necked sweater with a Y center front.
“We married in 1940, lived in Holdenville until 1967 before moving to Moore and building a new home. Ofas died 10 years later in 1978.
“I treasured that sweater, for I only had one picture of him wearing it, but time and nature finally took both from me. Moths destroyed the sweater, the 1999 storm took the picture, so today, I only have the Y with four bars.”
Mark Oldham, Oklahoma City
He graduated from Midwest City and played football under the legendary Jim Darnell.
“I was not a starter, didn’t play football till my sophomore year having been born and raised a good part of my life in England and Europe. After the season of my junior year in which we played Tulsa Washington for the state championship, the letter jackets were given out to the players that had lettered. I still remember seeing my teammates in their new jackets in the halls that day at Midwest City and being happy for them but sad knowing I would not be getting a jacket.
“Late in that school day, I saw one of my favorite coaches Don Faubion in the hallway. He said, ‘Where have you been all day? Coach Darnell is looking for you.’ I thought I was in some kind of trouble. I went to Coach Darnell’s office, and he looked at me, reached behind his desk grabbed something and tossed it at me. It was my own letterman’s jacket! Could not believe my eyes.
“I wore that jacket proudly for my junior and senior year of high school, then put it up when I left for Oklahoma State University. I know my letter jacket is one of the most prized possessions ever given to me in my life.”
John A. Blaschke, Oklahoma City
He earned a letter in football from Denison (Iowa) High School in 1935.
“What amazes me is that some 80 years later, I still have kept that D. Through 80 years of traveling, moving, packing up, moving on in many endeavors, successes and failures, I still have that letter. We moved to Norman in 1940. Became a Naval aviator in WWII. Went to medical school in 1946 on the GI bill. Graduated in 1950. Eventually became a rheumatologist at the McBride Clinic and retired at age 80 in 2000.
“My wife and I will have been married 72 years this coming March. We had six children of our own and 184 foster children. Obviously, much change and confusion in an active household, but somehow that letter remained in a dresser drawer.”

STILLWATER — Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy has been allowed little rest since the Cowboys capped the 2014 season with a Cactus Bowl victory against Washington. He can thank another offseason marked by an assistant coaching carousel for that. A quick refresher for how it all went down. — Cornerbacks coach Van Malone accepted the […]

Oklahoma State football: Seven things we learned from Mike Gundy's interview on Triple Play Sports Radio

Kyle Fredrickson | Feb 27, 2015

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STILLWATER — Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy has been allowed little rest since the Cowboys capped the 2014 season with a Cactus Bowl victory against Washington.
He can thank another offseason marked by an assistant coaching carousel for that. A quick refresher for how it all went down.
— Cornerbacks coach Van Malone accepted the defensive coordinator position at SMU. He was replaced by former Houston running backs coach Dan Hammerschmidt.
— Offensive line coach Bob Connelly took the same job at USC. He was replaced by former Youngstown State coach Eric Wolford, who left shortly after for an assistant position with the San Fransisco 49ers. He was replaced by former Buffalo Bills tight ends coach Greg Adkins.
— Receivers coach Jason Ray was dismissed. He was replaced by former Montana State assistant Jason McEndoo, who is expected to work with offensive line and tight ends.
— Running backs coach Jemal Singleton left for the same job, plus special teams coordination, at Arkansas. He was replaced by former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterbacks coach Marcus Arroyo.
Gundy was interviewed Friday morning by OSU sideline reporter Robert Allen on Triple Play Sports Radio. Here are seven things we learned from Gundy during their discussion:
1. Logistics can be an issue when inviting coaching candidates to Stillwater for interviews.
“When you’re in Stillwater, it’s not easy to get them in here to visit with them. You’ve got to get on a plane to get to Oklahoma City and Tulsa. It takes two hours to get them here, then the time you spend with them, then you’ve got to get them back to the airport in most cases the next day to get out of here. It just takes a little more time than what most of us are comfortable with.”
2. Respecting other programs in the hiring process was important.
“We could do some of this prior to recruiting. I don’t really believe in that. I don’t think it’s fair to take a coach off another head coach’s staff where a guy has recruited a young man for over a year and then all of the sudden he’s not there at the last second. At some point, I have kind of a soft heart there, and it probably works against us at Oklahoma State a little bit, but I think it’s the right thing to do.”
3. Singleton’s decision to take the Arkansas job was met with mixed emotions.
“He got a promotion in our world being he’s in charge of the special teams and is going to be the play caller in that area. We were happy and thrilled for Jemal and hate to lose him. He’s been really a good football coach and a loyal coach with his family to Oklahoma State football. But that threw me a curve ball.”
4. Athletic Director Mike Holder showed flexibility during the hiring process.
“He understood what my vision is for the future of Oklahoma State football, trying to stay on the cutting edge of different areas … There’s some financial restrictions at times, but for the most part without making it sound bad, he was willing to open the checkbook.”
5. Adkins and McEndoo will work together on the offensive front.
“(McEndoo) will come in and work with our tight ends and (be) another set of eyes on the field, and in game planning with offensive line play, and he’ll work with Greg .”
6. Arroyo is versatile enough to coach running backs.
“You bring a guy in to coach running backs that has got experience doing everything. He’s experienced in the NFL in the passing game. And most coaches that hang around the NFL have to be football junkies and have to understand the game very well.”
7. Although he can’t go out on the road, Wyatt is considered a Texas recruiting specialist.
“I’m not sure that there’s anybody in this part of the country that knows more about the state of Texas in recruiting, knows more about the high school coaches, the way things work. You’re talking about a guy that has coached at Oklahoma State, he’s coached at Oklahoma, he’s coached at Kansas, he’s coached at Texas … I would suspect that one year here and he’ll be back in the coaching ranks.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee left tackle Michael Roos is retiring from the NFL after playing 10 seasons and 148 games with the Titans.Roos announced his decision Thursday on social media after informing the Titans."After 10 years as a Tennessee Titan I have decided to retire from football," Roos wrote in his Instagram post. "I have given this decision much consideration. I feel fortunate...

Titans left tackle Michael Roos retires after 10 seasons

Associated Press | Feb 26, 2015

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee left tackle Michael Roos is retiring from the NFL after playing 10 seasons and 148 games with the Titans.
Roos announced his decision Thursday on social media after informing the Titans.
"After 10 years as a Tennessee Titan I have decided to retire from football," Roos wrote in his Instagram post. "I have given this decision much consideration. I feel fortunate to have played this long coming from a TE turned DE turned OT from Eastern Washington University."
Roos ranked second only to Dominic Raiola (155) for starts by offensive linemen since 2005. The 41st pick overall in 2005, Roos was an All Pro and Pro Bowler in 2008 as the Titans went an NFL-best 13-3. He helped block for Chris Johnson's 2,006-yard rushing season in 2009.
He also anchored a line that blocked for a 1,000-yard rusher each year between 2005 and 2013 while ranking third for fewest sacks allowed in the NFL in that span.
Roos started the first 119 games of his career, a streak stopped only by an emergency appendectomy in 2012. But a knee injury limited Roos to five games last season, and he said he was thinking of retiring with his contract expiring. Roos thanked his coaches from high school through Ken Whisenhunt and all his teammates.
"I'm excited to begin the rest of my life, and I am grateful to do so now, while I am fully healthy," Roos wrote. Roos was replaced by Taylor Lewan, their first-round draft pick in 2014, after the veteran was hurt.
General manager Ruston Webster described Roos as a true pro and model of consistency during his time in Tennessee.
"He had the unique ability to make playing a very difficult position look effortless," Webster said in a statement. "Playing one of the toughest positions on the field, he was a player that Titans fans could count on week in and week out, and one of the most durable players in the history of the franchise."
Roos started his first game as a rookie at Pittsburgh at left tackle before switching to right tackle for the rest of the season. He then took over at left tackle after Brad Hopkins retired before the 2006 season. Last season was his only year where Roos didn't play at least 15 games. Mike Munchak coached Roos first as his position coach, then head coach between 2011 and 2013.
"Michael was such an intelligent football player," said Munchak, now a Steelers assistant coach. "He always understood his opponent, our offensive scheme, their defensive scheme and all the angles involved. That knowledge and film work let him play with a great deal of confidence."
David Stewart was drafted the same year as Roos and played right tackle before retiring a year ago.
"He led by example and made everybody better," Stewart said. "It was an honor to have him around my entire career to push me and make me a better player."
Kevin Mawae played center for the Titans between 2006 and 2009. He congratulated Roos on his retirement.
"He was a great teammate and a friend in and out of the locker room," Mawae said. "Michael was professional in every aspect, and served as an example of what a professional football player should be. I am proud to say that we played together."
___
Online:
AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

The University of Northern Colorado men’s basketball team doesn’t have a preference.Then again, it doesn’t have a choice, either.The Bears, who have three regular season games left and need to win at least one to protect their seeding in the Big Sky Conference postseason tournament, likely will be going to Sacramento, Calif., or Missoula, Mont. Maybe even Cheney, Wash.In some way, it’s a...

Media report: Oklahoma State receiver Ra'Shaad Samples to transfer

Kyle Fredrickson | Feb 24, 2015

Oklahoma State receiver Ra’Shaad Samples will transfer following the spring semester, according to a report from 24/7 Sports college football recruiting analyst Ryan Bartow.
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Per his father, #OklahomaState WR Ra’Shaad Samples to transfer. http://t.co/8g7frAJVzW @Perroni247 @OKState247 @jcshurburtt
-- Ryan Bartow (@RyanBartow) February 24, 2015
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Samples — a 5-foot-11, 178-pound sophomore from Skyline High School (Dallas) — was one of the most highly touted members of OSU’s 2013 signing class. The former Under Armour All-American was four-star rated prospect ranked No. 19 by ESPN among wide receivers nationally.
Samples redshirted his first season with the Cowboys. In 2014, he appeared in six games and caught three passes for 11 yards.
His father, Reginald Samples, is a longtime Texas High School football coach with more than 200 career victories. He told Bartow his son has been granted his release from OSU and has “some offers” to play elsewhere.
Samples held more than two-dozen Division I scholarship offers out of high school, including USC, Texas, Ohio State, Notre Dame and OU.
Minus Samples, the Cowboys return nine wide receivers who had at least one catch last season: David Glidden, Brandon Sheperd, James Washington, Marcell Ateman, Jhajuan Seales, Austin Hays, Chris Lacy, Kameron Doolittle and C.J. Curry.

Save for the day of his son’s tragic death in 2013, Michael Morris really doesn’t want to talk about the past.His future is about saving kids’ lives, he says.But Morris’ past involves a checkered history of federal prison sentences for financial crimes.Companies he formed have been named in multiple lawsuits resulting in default court judgments for breach of contract and fraud. A company he...

Playing for Chase: Questions raised about charity and its founder

Save for the day of his son’s tragic death in 2013, Michael Morris really doesn’t want to talk about the past.
His future is about saving kids’ lives, he says.
But Morris’ past involves a checkered history of federal prison sentences for financial crimes.
Companies he formed have been named in multiple lawsuits resulting in default court judgments for breach of contract and fraud. A company he started is currently in bankruptcy, listing a trail of unpaid debts in several states totaling more than $5 million.
Three months after his son died of an undiagnosed cardiac ailment in 2013, Morris incorporated a foundation in Chase’s memory.
The Chase Morris Foundation has since conducted heart-health screenings at local high schools, reportedly purchased life-saving equipment and training tools and raised awareness of sudden cardiac death, the silent killer that took Chase at age 16.
In July 2014, the foundation said on its Facebook page that it “is governed by an independent board of directors and its operations and finances are audited annually by an independent CPA firm in accordance with rules and regulations set forth by the IRS.”
But Morris, 52, hadn’t applied to the Internal Revenue Service for 501(c)(3) status at that point. When the Tulsa World asked for copies of those audits, contact information for board members, his IRS application for nonprofit status and other documents, Morris did not provide those records.
His foundation has organized a golf tournament for $400 per team, sought donations for as much as $10,000 and sought media attention and corporate partners for health screenings before becoming established as a tax-exempt nonprofit.
Morris said he applied to the IRS in September 2014 but previously told The Grove Sun in November 2013 he was in the process of establishing the organization as 501(c)(3).
When the World asked for a dated copy of the application, Morris said the application was done online and he had no copies.
He produced a fax he purported to be from the IRS that shows a Feb. 12 approval date for the foundation’s tax-exempt status. He said he received it from the agency on Wednesday, Feb. 18, after an interview with the Tulsa World. The cover sheet appears to be dated Feb. 18, but the fax transmission fine print allegedly shows the IRS sent it to him on Sunday, Feb. 15.
A spokeswoman for the federal agency told the World last week: “The IRS does not have an approved application for the (Chase Morris Foundation) organization as a tax-exempt organization.” The IRS noted that its public databases can take up to 30 days to update information.
Morris also forwarded to the World a voicemail dated Feb. 12 in which an IRS agent states the foundation’s fax was received, he had made a recommendation for approval and “hopefully, you’ll get your exemption letter within a couple weeks’ time.”
The only other document Morris produced was a Dec. 22 letter to the foundation from the IRS asking for more information before the nonprofit application could be approved. The letter says a response is due by Jan. 12.
The World asked for copies of the documents the foundation sent to the IRS in response, but Morris did not provide them.
The World requested the documents Wednesday, and Morris said Friday his accountant had all financial records regarding the foundation. He said they were not available because his accountant was busy with tax season.
Morris said the foundation had no activity in 2013 and that he is not required to file the 2014 form until May. He said it will be made public as required when filed.
Morris said the foundation has raised about $8,000 to date and that he and his girlfriend and business partner, Kristi Brooks, have paid for most of the foundation’s expenses.
“We incurred substantial costs in equipment and otherwise, largely purchased on our personal credit cards,” he said.
They have spent as much as $45,000 to provide cardiac screenings and equipment, bought ads on radio stations and gave away tickets to the golf tournament held in Owasso in November, he said.
OU head football coach Bob Stoops was among those featured in public service announcements about sudden cardiac arrest on behalf of the Chase Morris Foundation’s golf tournament.
Morris and Brooks have lobbied lawmakers to pass measures requiring cardiac screenings for student athletes. They posed for a photo with Gov. Mary Fallin after she signed a bill last year requiring CPR classes in high schools.
Donations to any charity are not guaranteed to be tax-deductible until the IRS application for 501(c)(3) status is approved, said Jennifer Meckling, communications manager for the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits.
“It would be odd for anyone to try to operate without (applying) first,” Meckling said.
If an organization applies quickly enough and tax-exempt status is granted, however, the status is granted back to its incorporation date, officials said.
The foundation sponsored heart screenings in November at Metro Christian Academy and last month at Booker T. Washington High School. Its website lists upcoming screenings scheduled at several high schools.
Morris told the World that with its partners, the foundation screened 283 students at Booker T. Washington High School, finding three with potential heart conditions. Students are asked to donate $25 to offset the cost of the testing, which Morris says doesn’t come close to the total expense.
Chris Payne, a spokesman for Tulsa Public Schools, said the district became aware after the screenings that questions had been raised about the foundation.
“I think we would probably think long and hard before doing this again,” Payne said. “The good outcome of this is that they actually discovered ... kids who had heart defects from this.”
Criminal history
Records show Morris has convictions for bank fraud, wire fraud and Social Security fraud dating back to 1988.
Morris said his criminal behavior is in his past, and he doesn’t want it to impact the foundation’s mission.
“I was not placed on any financial accounts and did not have the ability to sign a check or withdrawal. ... This was done so that there would never be any ability for anyone to question my role or involvement in those matters,” he said.
On seven occasions between 1992 and 2008, he was sent back to federal prison for violating the terms of his supervised release, including prohibitions on opening bank accounts and lines of credit or handling money without prior approval.
Morris was last released from federal prison in 2011 after serving three years for violating terms of his supervised release. That violation involved submitting false reports to his probation officer, lying about opening lines of credit, establishing new corporations and failing to disclose bank accounts.
Those supervised release terms were established because Morris owed more than $1.6 million in restitution for a 2003 federal conviction. In that case, Morris admitted to bank fraud and falsifying records to obtain Phillips 66 corporate credit cards in a relative’s name for a shell company he started.
Records show he filed paperwork to establish that company in 2002, while he was in a halfway house transitioning out of federal prison.
Morris pleaded with the federal judge for leniency at the 2008 revocation hearing: “I don’t know if the court recalls, but I’ve spoke at schools and tried to talk to the young people about making better decisions, but I — then I make bad decisions again. ... I will do whatever you ask me to, no matter what that is, and I will take care of my obligations.”
However, he has yet to repay the $1.6 million he owes in restitution under the terms of his 2003 sentence.
And since he was released from prison in 2011, creditors have filed numerous civil lawsuits against his companies for unpaid business debts.
Lawsuits by creditors in Arkansas and Oklahoma resulted in default judgments of a combined $1.2 million against Morris and his companies when the defendants failed to show up in court.
His company filed bankruptcy last year, listing nearly $6 million owed to creditors and $65,000 in assets.
That company, Pinnacle V. Properties LLC, operated 11 Stampede Country Stores in Arkansas and Oklahoma, including six in the Tulsa area. Pinnacle filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy in March, listing wages owed to dozens of employees, unpaid federal withholding taxes and unpaid taxes in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri.
The filing lists 2013 gross income for Pinnacle’s convenience stores as $19.7 million. The bankruptcy filing lists Morris’ girlfriend as Pinnacle’s chief executive officer and Morris as chief operating officer.
Morris describes the legal disputes and bankruptcy involving his former business as the result of a grief-stricken father letting his business fall by the wayside.
“If I could have lived and camped next to my son’s grave, I would have,” Morris said. “I was lucky just to breathe.”
On Friday, Morris told the World he was resigning from his position at the foundation because “I can’t allow my presence to be a distraction.” He provided no details about who will operate it.
Morris said the foundation keeps its finances and operations separate from a real estate investment firm he also founded in his son’s name, Chase Investment Properties LLC. The foundation’s office at 5840 S. Memorial Drive is adjacent to the real estate office.
‘I’ve made mistakes’
By all accounts, Chase Morris was beloved by his family, friends and classmates, and his sudden death in 2013 was traumatic for all who knew the gregarious, competitive teen.
His heart stopped suddenly while he was playing ping pong with friends, who drove him to the hospital when an ambulance took too long to arrive. It was too late.
The young tennis player had an undiagnosed heart condition that could have been detected through a screening. An automated external defibrillator or CPR could possibly have saved him, his family said. Though figures vary widely, sudden cardiac arrest kills more than 1,000 children and teens each year.
Months after his death, his friends continued to decorate a tree near his grave with ribbons and mementos.
He was the middle of three children between Michael Morris and Kim Williams Morris, who after years of court battles were recently granted a divorce in Delaware County District Court.
Kim, who now goes by Kim Williams, said she’s not involved in the foundation started in her son’s name. A judge granted a permanent protective order against Morris in August prohibiting him from contacting Williams, who lives in Grove.
Morris said he wouldn’t do anything to harm his son’s legacy and does not believe his past is relevant to the foundation’s operation.
“I’ve made mistakes, true. I’ve also done my best to atone for that. To some it will never be enough, but all I can do is try.”
* * *
Cary Aspinwall and Ziva Bransetter are with the Tulsa World. The story is reprinted with permission from Tulsa World. The original story may be found at http://bit.ly/1FQs8fx

Welcome to the NewsOK Varsity podcast with high school writers Scott Wright, Jacob Unruh and Trent Shadid. Each week, the writers will discuss the hot topics across the state in high school sports. You can subscribe to the weekly podcast on iTunes by clicking here. NewsOK Varsity 2-17-15 <—CLICK THERE: Scott Wright, Jacob Unruh and […]

NewsOK Varsity Podcast: Breaking down the 2016 Super 30

Jacob Unruh | Feb 19, 2015

Welcome to the NewsOK Varsity podcast with high school writers Scott Wright, Jacob Unruh and Trent Shadid.
Each week, the writers will discuss the hot topics across the state in high school sports.
You can subscribe to the weekly podcast on iTunes by clicking here.
NewsOK Varsity 2-17-15 <—CLICK THERE: Scott Wright, Jacob Unruh and Trent Shadid talk about the first edition of the 2016 Super 30, Victory Christian’s Jon-Michael Terry, state wrestling championships and preview the Class 6A and Class 5A basketball playoffs.
PODCAST ARCHIVE
NewsOK Varsity 12-17-14 Scott Wright, Jacob Unruh and Trent Shadid talk about the championships that were decided over the weekend and the final football game of the season, the Class 3A championship between Cushing and Heritage Hall. They also discuss the possibilities for Offensive Player of the Year.
NewsOK Varsity 12-10-14: Scott Wright, Trent Shadid, and Jacob Unruh discuss last week’s playoffs, the upcoming matchups for titles in Class 2A and Class A, and the Douglass-Locust Grove case.
NewsOK Varsity 12-2-14: Scott Wright and Jacob Unruh preview this week’s championship games in Class 6A, 5A and 4A, as well as discuss the controversy surrounding the Douglass-Locust Grove game.
NewsOK Varsity 11-26-14: We look back at round one of high school playoffs with a few big upsets, and look ahead to round two mathcups such as Mustang-Tulsa Union, Lawton-Tulsa Washington and Kingfisher-Seminole.
NewsOK Varsity 11-19-14: We look back at round one of high school playoffs with a few big upsets, and look ahead to round two mathcups such as Mustang-Tulsa Union, Lawton-Tulsa Washington and Kingfisher-Seminole.
NewsOK Varsity 11-12-14: We take a look at the high school football playoffs, breaking down wide-open classes like 3A and 5A. Also, breaking down championship picks and this week’s top games.
NewsOK Varsity 11-5-14: We take a look at the high school football playoffs and some interesting storylines this week, including Lawton female kicker Caitlyn Cox’s winning field goal against Midwest City.
NewsOK Varsity 10-24-14: Expanding more on Hawk tackling, the innovative technique Heritage Hall has adopted from the Seattle Seahawks. The Varsity crew also looks ahead to Friday’s action, including Midwest City at Choctaw.
NewsOK Varsity 10-14-14: Who is the player of the year after six weeks of the season? The Varsity crew discusses along with focusing on the week ahead and the junior running back class.
NewsOK Varsity 10-8-14: A look look back at the surprising outcomes from week 5 games.
NewsOK Varsity 10-2-14: Unruh and Shadid discuss Owasso’s rise this season and what it means for Class 6A Division I. Other topics include Westmoore receiver Dahu Green, Clinton’s poor start this season and Deer Creek rebounding last week against Piedmont.
NewsOK Varsity 9-23-14: Westmoore is coming off a big victory over Norman North. Does that make the Jaguars a legitimate contender in Class 6A Division I? Also, Casady offensive lineman Josh Wariboko-Alali joins the show to talk his recruitment.
NewsOK Varsity 9-17-14: This week’s guests include Heritage Hall coach Andy Bogert and sportswriter Michael Swisher of the Kingfisher Times and Free Press to discuss Class 3A football, while the Varsity staff tries to answer the question of Class 6A’s best in the west, and breaks down the skills of new OU commit Will Sunderland of Midwest City.

Ty Darlington became one of the faces of NCAA reform last month, when he served as one of 15 student-athlete representatives who voted in the new legislative process for the so-called “Power Five” conferences.

Oklahoma football: How Ty Darlington stole the show at the NCAA convention

BY JASON KERSEY | Feb 14, 2015

Joe Castiglione sat in a huge ballroom Jan. 17, watching as history was made during the annual NCAA convention just outside of Washington, D.C.
At some point during the proceedings, though, he became a little distracted as the cell phone in his pocket buzzed repeatedly. Was there an emergency back home? Some pressing matter that needed immediate attention?
When the Oklahoma athletic director finally looked down and scrolled through a long list of text messages — notes like, “Your guy is awesome;” “That guy is fantastic;” and “Where did you find this student-athlete?” — he realized they were coming from other athletic directors sitting in the same ballroom.
“Then when I left, quite a few more stopped me just to say how impressed they were with Ty Darlington,” Castiglione said.
Darlington became one of the faces of NCAA reform last month, when he served as one of 15 student-athlete representatives who voted in the new legislative process for the so-called “Power Five” conferences. The first-ever autonomy meeting produced several substantial changes that will enhance student-athlete benefits — full cost of attendance scholarships; four-year scholarship protection and new concussion protocols, to name a few — but also introduced the larger world of college athletics to Darlington, who stole the show with his intricate knowledge of the issues and passionate voice when he stood to speak.
“It wasn’t a surprise to me because I had seen from the start of the process how Ty prepared and was engaged,” said Jason Leonard, OU’s executive director of compliance. “He knew the legislation as well as I did.”
Darlington, who currently serves as vice president of the Big 12 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, found out in December that he’d be part of the NCAA’s new governance structure, which allows the wealthiest conferences — the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC — to adopt their own rules in some areas.
Each school in those conferences gets one vote, and three athletes per conference also get a vote. Kansas softball player Maddie Stein and Texas Tech baseball player Anthony Lyons Jr. joined Darlington as the Big 12 representatives.
Darlington took his new responsibilities seriously, spending hours reading up on the issues and discussing legislation with experts.
“We all felt like if the NCAA is gonna have the audacity to put 15 student-athletes out there right next to presidents and chancellors — people with master’s degrees and doctorate degrees who have been doing this for 30 years — we’d better step our game up,” Darlington said. “If we’re not informed, it makes it look like all student-athletes aren’t informed.”
Leonard noticed Darlington’s obsessive attention to detail early in the process, and at that time, it was surprising to the OU compliance director.
In-depth discussion involving bylaws and legislation aren’t the sort of topics anyone expects college students to get excited about — much less grasp.
“I’ve heard it from a lot of different people around the nation, that when the student-athletes spoke, administrators listened,” Leonard said. “A lot of people even changed their vote based on what the student-athlete vote was on a particular issue.
“I never would have imagined that — one — the student-athletes would have the courage to get up in front of a microphone and express their opinion, but then on top of that, to express their opinion so clearly and eloquently.”
That’s where Darlington truly shined, especially when he debated an issue very close to his heart — protection against concussions.
His younger brother, Zack, was carted off the field and airlifted to a hospital in August 2013 after a concussion in a nationally televised high school football game. The scary injury caused him to miss his entire senior season at Apopka (Fla.) High School.
Zack Darlington is now fully recovered and playing quarterback at Nebraska, but Ty wants to make sure all college football players are protected from concussions and properly cared for when head injuries do occur.
After extensively discussing the concussion proposal with Scott Anderson, OU’s head athletic trainer, Darlington decided it didn’t go far enough.
“We wanted a clause in there that athletic health care providers — meaning trainers and physicians — would have unquestioned authority when making any decision about athletes,” Darlington said. “I thought that was a no-brainer, that no coach, no administrator should be able to have any bearing on those decisions. We felt like the way it was written left some room for interpretation.”
During the convention, Darlington offered a motion to refer the concussion legislation for further study, but his motion was defeated, and the legislation passed with Darlington voting against it.
“No one thought it was a great piece of legislation,” he said. “Basically, the reason it passed is because a lot of people decided something was better than nothing.”
Brian Hainline, the NCAA’s chief medical officer, was so impressed with Darlington that Hainline found him after the meeting adjourned, assured him that he understood his concerns and said the NCAA would continue to work on making things better.
For Darlington, the entire experience was educational and fit right in with his current academic curriculum. The senior-to-be center, who started all 13 games for the Sooners last season, finished his undergraduate degree in two-and-a-half years and is now pursuing a master’s degree in intercollegiate athletic administration.
He still hasn’t quite decided on his career path yet — whether he wants to go into coaching or right into administration after graduating — but if he chooses the latter, he’s already made quite an impression on a number of athletic directors.
“Regardless of what he does after his eligibility is through, from graduation forward these are experiences that are going to serve him exceeding well,” Castiglione said. “Particularly if he decides to go into athletic administration … people are going to know him.
“It would be an honor to see a person like Ty take my job at some point in the future.”

Here is The Oklahoman high school sports staff’s first edition of the Super 30 recruit rankings for the state’s class of 2016.

The Oklahoman's Super 30 list of top football recruits for the Class of 2016

BY SCOTT WRIGHT, JACOB UNRUH AND TRENT SHADID | Feb 14, 2015

Here is The Oklahoman high school sports staff’s first edition of the Super 30 recruit rankings for the state’s class of 2016. The list will be updated again in the spring, summer, preseason and midseason, with the final update prior to National Signing Day in February 2016.
1. Calvin Bundage, DB, Edmond Santa Fe, 6-3, 190
Bundage’s first year at safety went pretty well, earning 12 scholarship offers, including Arizona, Michigan, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
2. Terry Wilson, QB, Del City, 6-3, 190
Arkansas State extended an offer early and Houston came in last month, with several more programs watching intently.
3. T.J. Fiailoa, OL, Lawton MacArthur, 6-4, 330
Utah State’s offer was just the start for the big, powerful lineman.
4. Justice Hill, RB, Tulsa Washington, 5-10, 180
The first and only commitment of the 2016 class so far, Hill is headed to Oklahoma State.
5. Max Wariboko-Alali, DB, Casady, 5-10, 170
Wariboko-Alali holds four offers from Louisville, SMU, Tulsa and UCLA, which just signed his brother Josh to a National Letter of Intent.
6. Quan Hogan, RB, Norman North, 6-1, 200
Tulsa made an early offer to Hogan, who has shown strong receiving skills out of the backfield or the slot, adding to his value.
7. Jimmy McKinney, LB, Oologah, 6-1, 220
The state class is short on linebacker talent, but Arkansas State and Stephen F. Austin have already offered McKinney.
8. Darran Williams, RB, Edmond Santa Fe, 5-11, 165
A load to tackle, Williams’ interest is gradually picking up following a breakout junior season in which he rushed for nearly 2,000 yards and 22 touchdowns.
9. Chandler Garrett, QB, Mustang, 6-5, 200
Notre Dame, Kentucky, Indiana and several others are showing interest in the reigning Oklahoman Big All-City Offensive Player of the Year.
10. Jeremy Lewis, RB, Lone Grove, 6-2, 185
One of the elite small-school talents in a year with lots of prospects in Class 4A and below.
11. Noah Jones, DE, Southmoore, 6-5, 250
Southmoore is on pace to produce several big-name recruits over the next few years, and Jones heads the 2016 SaberCat class.
12. Austin Quillen, DB, Jenks, 6-0, 190
Louisiana Tech was the first program to offer the Jenks safety.
13. Logan Roberson, OL, Harrah, 6-5, 320
The powerfully built Panther blocked for Grant Martin, the state’s leading rusher at the 11-man level last season, and Roberson should attract some big offers for himself this year.
14. Nic Roller, RB, Bixby, 6-0, 235
The first-team Oklahoman All-State selection is hearing from OU, OSU and other big programs around the region.
15. Luther Harris, OL, Heritage Hall, 6-6, 370
Harris is a monster up front, but recruiters have concerns about him being too heavy. He first caught recruiting attention as a defensive tackle before moving full-time to offensive tackle.
16. Micah Wilson, QB, Lincoln Christian, 6-3, 200
Another member of the state’s strong quarterback class, Wilson is drawing a wide variety of interest, from places like Tulsa, Texas Tech, Northwestern, Duke, Harvard and others.
17. Tariq Bitson, WR, Tulsa Washington, 6-3, 190
Multiple receivers in the class are on the verge of breaking through to the elite level, and Bitson is right there with the best of them.
18. Corey Tipsword, OL/DL, Norman North, 6-4, 315
Tipsword is strictly a defensive player at Norman North, but college coaches think he could be a stout offensive lineman, too.
19. Jordan Brown, WR, Stillwater, 6-3, 195
Brown is starting to turn heads for the Pioneers. Georgia was showing interest early and he was recently invited to LSU’s Junior Day.
20. Jamall Shaw, RB, Broken Arrow, 6-0, 195
Shaw became the motor in the Tigers’ offense last season and has the size and speed to push him up this list.
21. Tyler Banta, OL, Carl Albert, 6-5, 285
Carl Albert coach Gary Rose regularly produces well-coached offensive linemen, and Banta is next in line, with invites to junior days at OU and Kansas State, among others.
22. Rowdy Frederick, OL, Broken Arrow, 6-5, 320
Tulsa extended an early offer to the Tigers’ big blocker.
23. Dreyvon Christon, DB, Putnam City, 5-11, 175
A fast and physical cornerback who plays bigger than his listed size.
24. Terrell Love, RB, Heritage Hall, 5-9, 220
Nicknamed “Tank,” Love is a powerful runner who has recently been in contact with SMU, Kansas and Tulsa.
25. Patrick McKaufman, QB, Douglass, 6-6, 185
McKaufman is skinny, but his long, athletic frame catches some eyes; also heading into his fourth year as a starter.
26. Mason Fine, QB, Locust Grove, 6-0, 170
The state’s single-season record holder for passing yards and touchdowns has a D-I arm, but his size will raise some questions from bigger programs.
27. Tyler Adkins, RB, Tulsa Union, 5-9, 185
Yet another gifted running back in the class, Adkins combines power and quickness.
28. Walker Reed, OL, Norman North, 6-6, 300
The prototypical build for an offensive tackle, Reed’s recruiting ceiling is high.
29. DeShawn Lookout, WR, Westmoore, 6-3, 190
Lookout’s future might be in baseball — he’s committed to OU — but he’s also got a football offer from Arkansas State.
30. Scotty Gilkey, QB, Broken Arrow, 6-4, 210
Gilkey has three offers already, though he was demoted to second string last season.

Text of Gov. Bill Haslam's State of the State address as prepared for delivery at the state Capitol in Nashville on Monday:Lieutenant Governor Ramsey, Speaker Harwell, Speaker Pro Tem Watson, Speaker Pro Tem Johnson, Members of the 109th General Assembly, Justices, Constitutional Officers, Commissioners, friends, guests and fellow Tennesseans:First, let me begin by assuring you that I don't...

Text of Gov. Bill Haslam's State of the State address

By The Associated Press, Associated Press | Feb 9, 2015

Text of Gov. Bill Haslam's State of the State address as prepared for delivery at the state Capitol in Nashville on Monday:
Lieutenant Governor Ramsey, Speaker Harwell, Speaker Pro Tem Watson, Speaker Pro Tem Johnson, Members of the 109th General Assembly, Justices, Constitutional Officers, Commissioners, friends, guests and fellow Tennesseans:
First, let me begin by assuring you that I don't plan on making you listen to me give an address every week. There was the inauguration a couple of weeks ago, Insure Tennessee last Monday, and then tonight. I'm sure some of you are already tired of hearing me, so this will be the shortest State of the State speech yet.
Last week, the decision was made not to move forward with Insure Tennessee. However, that does not mean the issues around health care go away. Too many Tennesseans are still not getting health coverage they need in the right way, in the right place, at the right time. An emergency room is not the place where so many Tennesseans should be going for health care services. It's not the best health care for them, and it's costing us a lot more in the long run.
Health care costs are still eating up too much of our state's budget and impacting the federal deficit and nation's debt. According to the Congressional Budget Office, if we maintained health care costs at their current levels, which we know are inflated, for the next eight years — just kept them flat — we'd eliminate the nation's deficit. To do that, we can't keep doing what we have been doing.
So, though the special session has ended, I hope we can find a way to work together to address those problems.
As we transition from the special session to the regular session, I look forward to continuing to work together on the important issues that face our state and our citizens.
This evening, I am here to update you on how we're doing as a state and to present our administration's budget. You will see in the budget that we are continuing to invest in the things that we believe in and that Tennesseans care about: education, jobs and a customer-focused, efficient and effective state government.
I stand here tonight to tell you that the state of our state is enviable in many ways. There are a lot of good things happening in Tennessee, and they're being recognized in significant ways across the country.
Nearly 225,000 new private sector jobs have been created in Tennessee in the last four years, and we hold the designation of "State of the Year" in economic development for an unprecedented second year in a row.
We lead the country in academic achievement gains, and we are the first state ever to promise that our high school seniors can attend two years at a community or technical college free of tuition and fees.
We have the lowest debt per capita of any state and among the lowest tax rates.
So, we have a lot of momentum to build on, and as I said several weeks ago at the inaugural, we're not letting our foot off the gas.
The next four years also come with the reality that we will face the same budget challenges that we have faced in the past four years. Every year we have a limited amount of new money that is available from our revenue growth. That new money rarely keeps pace with our budget obligations and growing costs for education and health care. That's why it is so important that our state has built a track record of fiscal restraint.
There are a lot of things that state government is responsible for and that we're accomplishing that you may not know about. I still learn something new from our departments all of the time. For example:
— Our Department of Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities' state service delivery system is the very first to be accredited in the nation.
— In the Department of Children's Services, the Child Abuse Hotline took 140,000 calls and 80 percent of those calls were answered within 20 seconds, which exceeds national standards.
— In 2014, there were fewer accidental fire-related deaths in Tennessee than in any year in recorded history.
— Last year, Tennessee had the second lowest number of traffic fatalities of the past 50 years.
— Average wait times in our driver services centers have dropped from over 32 minutes in 2011 to under 24 minutes in 2014.
— Tennessee State Parks had 35 million visits last year.
— The Department of Veteran's Affairs serves about 10 percent of our state, more than half a million veterans and their dependents each year.
We are all concerned about prescription drug abuse in our state, and from the work of our Public Safety Subcabinet and legislation you've passed, the amount of narcotic pain medication prescribed in Tennessee is down five percent. And, doctor shopping is down 42 percent from its peak in 2011.
All that work starts with a state government that is up to the task. That means a customer-focused government that recruits, retains and rewards the best and brightest employees to serve.
Three years ago, we worked with the General Assembly to overhaul our outdated employment system. Because of that, we are now able to recruit, hire and promote based on who is best for the job, not who has been in line the longest.
Two years ago, we put $60 million in the budget to raise state employee salaries to be more in line with the market place.
This year, we are including $48 million in the budget for employee pay raises and market adjustments. That amounts to a three percent pool, but unlike in years past, those won't be across the board. Pay raises and compensation will be tied to employee performance in addition to ongoing market adjustments. We have worked hard to bring employee salaries up to be competitive with the private sector. After nearly two years of implementing performance evaluations, it makes sense to take the next step to move toward rewarding employees like the private sector does — on their performance and results, not just on seniority.
As we continue to prepare for a changing workforce, we are doing all we can to give our commissioners the tools and flexibility to meet the needs of their departments.
We are going to be asking a lot from our employees as we move full speed ahead. I am grateful for the dedication of employees all across the state, and I'm excited about the opportunity to better recognize and reward them for their work.
As we talk about state government's workforce, we are also making certain that Tennesseans are prepared for the workforce challenges of today's global market economy.
There has been a lot of talk in this country about the income gap — about our shrinking middle class — and it's no secret that Republicans and Democrats have some different views about the best ways to address that. But there is a truth that we all know and that we can all agree on.
The best answer of all involves creating opportunity for more people to be prepared for the jobs of the future.
If you take a two-earner high school educated couple and they both obtain college degrees, their income rises on average $58,000 per year.
Unfortunately, in our country, the escalator has stopped. In ranking the world's countries by the percentage of the population with a degree, the United States ranked second in 2000. Today, we are fifth, and most disturbingly, we ranked 12th among the 25 to 34-year-old age group.
More Americans, almost 30 percent, have less education than their parents, than the 20 percent who have more education than their parents.
In Tennessee, we are doing something about that. Two years ago, we announced our Drive to 55 to raise the percentage of Tennesseans with a certificate or degree beyond high school up from 32 percent to 55 percent by the year 2025.
Last year, we introduced the Tennessee Promise — the very first state in the country to guarantee high school graduates two years of free community college or technical school.
This year, of our 65,000 high school seniors, 58,000 of them applied for the Tennessee Promise. Equally notable, 9,200 adult Tennesseans signed up to be volunteer mentors for those students.
For the last 30 years, Tennessee's greatest need has been for better trained workers who can fill the jobs that companies want to bring here. We think the Tennessee Promise is a game changer.
We know that access is important, but even more important is success. Not only do we need to get those students into school, they need to finish. That's why the mentor piece of the Tennessee Promise is so important.
But we're also going to include $400,000 in this year's budget to establish the Tennessee Promise Bridge Program. It's a pilot program to bring first-generation students to campus prior to fall enrollment. When nobody in your family has ever gone to college before, being there can be intimidating. This is one more step to make sure these students have the best chance possible to succeed.
It is also why our SAILS program is so important. SAILS gives students who need extra support in math that attention during their senior year in high school so they can avoid remediation when they enter college. We piloted the program two years ago, and the results speak for themselves.
Last year, 8,100 students were served by the SAILS program, and almost 70 percent of those students completed all remediation while still in high school. That saved families nearly $6.5 million in tuition.
This year we are including $2.5 million to sustain the success of the SAILS program.
But the reality is that just reaching high school graduates won't be enough to reach our goal. In Tennessee, there are nearly one million adults with some post-secondary credit but without a degree. We have to figure out ways to reconnect those adults and remove the barriers that are preventing them from earning their certificate or degree, which will lead to a better job and future.
We are including $1.5 million dollars in this year's budget for a pilot program — modeled after the Tennessee Promise — to provide last dollar scholarships to adults with some post-secondary credit to attend community college.
Also, beginning this fall, any Tennessee adult will be able to attend a Tennessee College of Applied Technology absolutely free.
The budget also includes nearly $2.5 million for statewide outreach efforts geared toward adult students, technical assistance to local communities that are finding ways to support adult learners, and a one stop portal for adults.
One group of adults that has shown a lot of enthusiasm on college campuses is our veterans. From 2008 to 2013, we saw an increase of nearly 200 percent of veterans enrolling in our colleges and universities. Our Veterans Education Task Force has been working to address the unique needs that our service men and women have when they come home and go back to school. Based on their report, the budget includes $1 million to set up competitive grants to 2-year and 4-year schools to develop initiatives specifically designed for veterans to be successful in earning a degree or certificate.
As we drive more students to our community colleges, technical colleges and universities, we are expecting more from our schools than we ever have before.
We are asking them to move full speed ahead too. We want to make sure they're keeping expenses low and working to control tuition costs. We're asking them to make sure they're providing the right instruction and classes that lead to real jobs.
We know that we have a role to play in this process too. We've made education, both K-12 and higher ed, top priorities — both from a policy standpoint and through our budgets. This year is no exception.
In response to our schools' new focus on success and completion, we will be investing $25 million to fully fund the Complete College Act formula.
The budget will also include $10 million to fund more need-based scholarships for students.
We've budgeted more than $260 million for higher ed capital. That funds new science facilities at Jackson State Community College and the University of Tennessee. It also includes nearly $25 million for improvements to our colleges of applied technology all across the state, and it includes the funds to complete the long awaited fine arts building at East Tennessee State University.
The reason we continue to make these investments in education is we want Tennesseans to have the education, training and skills necessary to have a good paying, high-quality job.
And we're having a lot of success in attracting those jobs to Tennessee. Tennessee has become known around the world as a leading automobile manufacturing state. That's good news because those are good jobs that bring a lot of other good jobs with them through the supplier network.
In the past, while companies might have trusted us to build their automobiles, they typically put their research and development efforts elsewhere. Today that's changing, and more and more research and development jobs connected to manufacturing are coming to Tennessee. We want to be known as a state where employers can find the job skills that they need no matter what the skill level of the job might be.
If we are going to achieve the goals of the Drive to 55, then Tennesseans must first have a strong foundation through what they learn in elementary, middle and high school.
I truly believe that getting education right is critical to the well-being of our state — today and in the future. We have to keep going full speed ahead. We can't afford to go backwards.
We've come too far to sell ourselves short. It would be an injustice to our students, to our teachers, to Tennessee families, and to ourselves.
There has been a lot of discussion about education, here and in schools and communities across the state. Most of the discussions have been around three things: state standards — what we will expect every student to know at every step along the way in his or her education journey; student assessments — how we will measure what students have learned through the year; and teacher evaluations.
Let's start with standards. Standards are the foundational skills that students should know at different grade levels. For example, one of the kindergarten reading standards is to "demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds," which includes recognizing and producing rhyming words and counting, pronouncing, blending and segmenting syllables in spoken words.
We typically review education standards — like that one — every six years, but because of the ongoing conversation on a state and national level, we thought it was appropriate to take a fresh look at them now, after four years. It is important for us to realize that there are more than 1,100 standards for English language arts and more than 900 for math.
Back in November, we launched a website where Tennesseans can go to review and make comments on our existing state standards. This spring, the Southern Regional Education Board, an independent, third party organization, will collect the input from the website, which will then be reviewed and analyzed by six advisory teams divided up by subject matter and made up of Tennessee educators. Those teams will then make recommendations to two expert committees of educators, which will then propose changes to the State Board of Education.
If you haven't visited the website, I encourage you to do so. So far, nearly 82,000 comments have been submitted. I expect that we're going to talk about state standards this session, and I think it is important that we know exactly what the standards are that we're talking about and possibly voting on.
To me, it doesn't really matter what we call our standards. What does matter is that we have the highest standards possible. What does matter is that we continue to have high expectations for our students, teachers and this state. We can come up with Tennessee standards that allow our students to compete with anyone in the world.
Over the past four years, I've met with thousands of educators to get feedback on what's going well in our schools and classrooms and what's not. One thing I hear a lot is frustration about the feeling that their profession is treated like a political football. We have to give our educators more stability and certainty in their classrooms and not change the game on them session after session.
We've proposed legislation that specifically addresses many of the concerns I've been hearing from teachers including the alignment of what they're teaching with our year-end assessment and having the Department of Education provide more information about the annual tests so they can better prepare their students every year. We are also proposing to make reasonable changes to teacher evaluations, and we're focusing on overall improved communication and collaboration with educators.
We are asking more of our teachers and their students than ever before. And guess what? Teachers and students are rising up to the challenge.
By now, almost everyone knows that Tennessee is making impressive gains in academic achievement. I expect there will be a lot of discussion about education this session, and there should be. You've heard me say it before, but it bears repeating: There is nothing more important to our state than getting education right. That's why in this year's budget, we are proposing nearly $170 million more for K-12 education.
The budget includes nearly $44 million to account for growth in the Basic Education Program. While other states are cutting K-12 education, Tennessee continues to be one of the few states in the country to make significant investments. In fact, our state spending on K-12 education over the past four years increased at a rate more than double the national average.
We know that a big part of success is to have a great teacher leading every classroom. Just like with state employees, we want to recruit, retain and reward the best and brightest educators.
A big piece of doing that is paying good teachers well. One of our goals in Tennessee is to not only be the fastest improving state in academic achievement gains but to also be the fastest improving state in teacher compensation. Tonight, I am pleased to announce that the budget includes $100 million for increasing teacher salaries. That amounts to a four percent pool that local education associations will have available as they make decisions on increasing teacher pay.
We are also including $5 million in the budget to create the Educators' Liability Trust Fund to offer liability insurance to our teachers at no cost.
We will continue doing all we can to work with educators and support them as professionals who are shaping the future of our children and our state.
In this year's budget, we have $300 million in new revenue to work with and $500 million in cost increases, primarily for education and health care increases. That's why we have to try different approaches that will help us keep costs down while increasing quality and outcomes in health care.
Obviously, those increases have necessitated $200 million in cost reductions in other places. The cost reductions that we make are painful and involve hard choices but without making those hard choices in the budget, we simply could not keep producing a balanced budget every year. Since we've been in office, we have redirected more than $450 million so that we can keep funding our state's needs while we are balancing our budget.
The reality is that's not going to change. We are going to have to continue to look for ways to cut costs and reallocate resources. One of the things that we like the best about Tennessee is our low tax structure, but that also means that we have limited revenues to fund the programs and services that Tennessee taxpayers rely on.
That's why we've worked to better manage our real estate and office space that results in real savings. That's why we're taking the next step to reduce energy costs and consumption across our departments through our Empower Tennessee program. That's why we work to maintain the low debt that we have as a state. By the way, continuing to pay off our debt this year means that we'll spend $13 million less this year on interest than we did last year.
And, we're going to make certain that we're prepared for the future by continuing to strengthen our Rainy Day Fund. This year we will add $36.5 million to bring the total to $528 million.
After presenting our budget last year, there was a sharp decline in revenue collections, and we weren't able to do some of the things we initially proposed in the budget.
Most of the drop was in our business tax collections. We've spent a lot of time working internally and with outside experts to analyze what happened.
Some of it is a result of the natural volatility of business taxes in general. Some of it was due to over collections in which reimbursements weren't accounted for in the budgeting process. And some of it is that companies outside of Tennessee, but that do business in Tennessee, aren't always required to pay the same taxes that our in state and homegrown companies do.
Through the analysis, we found that Tennessee has fallen behind other states in protecting our in state businesses from unfair competition from out of state companies.
To remedy that, we will file the Revenue Modernization Act, which aims to level the playing field in terms of sales tax and business taxes.
The bill also capitalizes on trends that we're seeing in product distribution by creating an incentive for companies to use Tennessee's distribution industry, which maximizes our state's strengths.
We are committed to Tennessee remaining a low tax state. This proposal simply brings us in line to better compete with other states and to not put our in state businesses at a disadvantage, which we are doing today.
I understand, for all of us, there is a lot of work, demand and pressure that comes with being an elected official, but there is also something really special about serving our fellow Tennesseans.
As I look back on the past four years, it is pretty incredible all that we have gotten done in working together. In looking back, I also see how fast time goes by. That's why we're not letting up on the throttle these next four years. We have to go full speed ahead because there is still a lot of work to do.
After the Insure Tennessee vote last week, there has been a lot of speculation about what happened. Some people have asked me if it was a waste of time and if I regret bringing the proposal. The answer is no to both.
To me the work we do here shouldn't just be about winning or losing. That's what's wrong with Washington. Every issue is cast in terms of political wins and losses. It should be about getting to the right answer, serving the people of Tennessee, and doing our part to make lives better.
Last week, I talked about coming here not just to make a point but to make a difference. It's about looking for answers not just having an agenda. With great power comes great responsibility.
I was in Washington weekend before last for a series of dinners and events. There were a lot of people who are currently in power and more than a few who used to be in power and have moved off of the stage. Some of those who are no longer on the stage wished mightily that they could be back on it. Others were content to have played their role at their particular time. Regardless, it reminded me that we all have a shelf life. At some point, it will be our turn to move off of this stage and to move on from here. When that time comes, let's be able to look back knowing that while we had the high privilege of serving here, we did everything we could to make Tennessee an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.
Until that time comes, let's keep moving full speed ahead.

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Eastern Washington quarterback Vernon Adams, an FCS All-American, said Monday he will transfer to Oregon, where he will be eligible to play next season and compete to replace Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota."Oregon it is!" Adams posted on Twitter, with an Instagram of the Oregon logo.Adams has been a record-breaking, three-year starter at Eastern Washington and is on...

FCS All-America QB Vernon Adams to transfer to Oregon

By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS, Associated Press | Feb 9, 2015

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Eastern Washington quarterback Vernon Adams, an FCS All-American, said Monday he will transfer to Oregon, where he will be eligible to play next season and compete to replace Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota.
"Oregon it is!" Adams posted on Twitter, with an Instagram of the Oregon logo.
Adams has been a record-breaking, three-year starter at Eastern Washington and is on target to graduate in May with a degree in recreation management. NCAA rules allow players who have graduated to transfer to another school without having to sit out a season.
The Ducks are looking to replace Mariota, who declared for the NFL draft after his junior season, giving Adams a chance to start immediately.
"I want to thank all of Eagle Nation for all the love and support," Adams wrote Monday. "Want to thank every single one of my teammates for pushing me to be a better man/athlete everyday these past 4 years."
Adams also thanked coach Beau Baldwin "for being the first school to ever offer me."
He said the move was best for himself and his family.
Oregon and Eastern Washington will open the 2015 season against each other on Sept. 5.
Adams has passed for 10,438 yards and 110 touchdowns, with 31 interceptions at EWU. He also helped the Eagles upset Pac-12 team Oregon State two seasons ago and nearly beat Washington last year.
Oregon officials said little about the transfer.
"As has been the case with all of our previous prospective student-athletes who have signed financial aid agreements, we choose to reserve comment until they have formally enrolled at the University of Oregon," Oregon coach Mark Helfrich said.
Eastern Washington athletic director Bill Chaves wished Adams well and thanked him for his efforts with the Eagles.
"The chance for him to pursue this opportunity is certainly a unique one given the fifth-year transfer rule," Chaves said. "We are not sure that this was the actual intent of the legislation when it was approved, but it is the rule currently in place that we and potentially other schools have to adhere to."
Under the transfer rules, Eastern Washington had to sign off on the deal.
Baldwin also expressed good wishes to Adams.
"We are very confident in the quarterbacks in our program, and our expectations and goals are the same for what we are capable of accomplishing in the 2015 season," Baldwin said.
Oregon was looking at its options at quarterback following the early departure of Mariota. He set a Pac-12 record for total touchdowns last season with 58, including 42 via pass, 15 on the run and one touchdown catch. He also set the conference mark for career touchdowns with 136.
Mariota declared his eligibility for the NFL draft shortly after the Ducks fell to Ohio State in the first College Football Playoff championship game. Oregon finished the season ranked No. 2.
Mariota's backup last season was Jeff Lockie, who attempted 27 passes, completing 21 for 207 yards and a touchdown.
There has been a lot of anticipation surrounding Adams, a two-time runner-up for the Walter Payton Award given to the top player in the FCS. He will have one year of eligibility at Oregon.
The 6-foot, 200-pound Adams was lightly recruited out of Alemany High School in Pasadena, California, but played immediately at Eastern Washington.
The Eagles, a perennial FCS power, are left with only one returning quarterback with college experience. Jordan West started four games last fall, winning three, when Adams was sidelined with a broken foot.
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AP College Football Writer Ralph Russo in New York contributed to this report.

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — It didn't seem like anything serious at the time.West Valley standout football player Jace Malek felt some pain in his right hip in a game in late September.Then in the Eagles' next-to-last game, Malek took a hit to the hip; the pain came back.Early in the wrestling season, the pain began to nag again. He went to a chiropractor but it didn't help. The chiropractor...

Idaho signs Washington high school player fighting cancer

By GREG LEE, Associated Press | Feb 6, 2015

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — It didn't seem like anything serious at the time.
West Valley standout football player Jace Malek felt some pain in his right hip in a game in late September.
Then in the Eagles' next-to-last game, Malek took a hit to the hip; the pain came back.
Early in the wrestling season, the pain began to nag again. He went to a chiropractor but it didn't help. The chiropractor recommended a physical therapist, who recommended getting an MRI.
And there it was, plain as can be, and as big as a cantaloupe: a tumor attached to both sides of the hip.
Malek, who turns 18 in two weeks, is just learning the specific names and spellings of the cancer. A biopsy last week revealed it's bone cancer. And because of its size, he can't have it removed yet.
He will begin chemotherapy next week, which could last up to a year. He also will undergo radiation.
As soon as Malek saw the tumor, he called University of Idaho coach Paul Petrino. Malek had given Idaho an oral commitment last fall.
"He wished me the best and said that Idaho would be there the whole time," Malek said.
Idaho wanted Malek to sign his letter of intent Wednesday, so he did.
"Coach Petrino told me that Idaho isn't going anywhere and that I had their complete support," Malek said.
Petrino sent Malek a No. 99 Vandals jersey, the same number he wore at West Valley in Spokane, Washington, for him to wear when he signed his letter of intent.
Petrino said Idaho will honor the scholarship even if Malek can't play.
"Jace is part of the family," Petrino said. "He wants to coach. If he can't play he'll be a student assistant. We felt terrible for him. He had such a great season in football and was wrestling well. Most important is you hope he gets better."
Malek and his family were shocked when they saw the MRI revealed Ewing's sarcoma, a cancer that affects about 1 in 100,000 10- to 19-year-old Americans, according to the National Cancer Institute.
"The tumor had to be in there some time for it to be that large," said Malek's mother, Anna Ackerman. "When his hip got hit, it was hit just right that it irritated it enough. That was a blessing. It let us know it was there."
Malek had a full body scan earlier this week and some smaller tumors were found in his chest.
"The doctor said they're related to the hip," Ackerman said. "The doctor said it's not a good thing, it lessens your chances of getting cured. But he said it's still curable."
The cancer diagnosis has shifted Malek's goals. He'd always hoped to play in college. Now he dreams of being a football coach.
"If I can't (play) then I want to do an internship with a coach at Idaho," he said. "I want to learn every piece of the coaching game, inside and out. That will definitely set me up well for the first coaching job I get."
Malek knows that playing football again may not be in the picture.
"I'm preparing myself for what I think reality is going to be," he said. "I don't need to hurt myself any more. I'm just going to do what I need to do. I'm going to attack this straight on and do what I have to do to beat it."
___
Information from: The Spokesman-Review, http://www.spokesman.com

Washington state at 1 a.m.The Seattle bureau can be reached at (800) 552-7694 or (206) 682-1812. The photo supervisor is at (206) 682-4801 or (800) 552-7694.For questions on stories from Olympia, call (360) 753-7222. For questions on Spokane-area stories, call Correspondent Nicholas Geranios at (800) 824-4928 or (509) 624-1258.Please do not give out these phone numbers or email addresses to...

BC-Washington News Coverage,ADVISORY

Associated Press | Feb 6, 2015

Washington state at 1 a.m.
The Seattle bureau can be reached at (800) 552-7694 or (206) 682-1812. The photo supervisor is at (206) 682-4801 or (800) 552-7694.
For questions on stories from Olympia, call (360) 753-7222. For questions on Spokane-area stories, call Correspondent Nicholas Geranios at (800) 824-4928 or (509) 624-1258.
Please do not give out these phone numbers or email addresses to members of the general public.
AP stories, along with the photos that accompany them, can also be obtained from http://www.apexchange.com Reruns are also available from the Service Desk (800) 838-4616.
Please submit your best stories via email to apseattle@ap.org. Stories should be in plain text format.
HEALTH OVERHAUL
SEATTLE — The Washington health exchange is 81,000 short of its goal for signing people up for insurance this year, but the people who run Washington Healthplanfinder are not panicking, even though open enrollment ends in just over a week. By Donna Gordon Blankinship. SENT: 480 words.
RUSSIA HACKING
SEATTLE — Federal prosecutors told a judge they don't object to delaying until November the trial for a Russian man charged with hacking U.S. businesses. Roman Seleznev's trial had been set for May 4, but a judge appointed the federal public defender's office to the man's case on Jan. 14 after he fired his previous lawyers for unknown reasons. By Martha Bellisle. SENT: 320 words.
XGR--WOLF MANAGEMENT
SPOKANE — An Eastern Washington lawmaker has told a legislative committee that wolves must be distributed more evenly across the state, even if some must be relocated. Eleven of the 14 wolf packs in the state are located in the northeastern Washington district of Rep. Joel Kretz, R-Wauconda. The packs have killed livestock and created conflicts with ranchers and other residents. By Nicholas K. Geranios. SENT: 660 words.
With:
— WHITMAN WOLF — Shot wolf not threatening humans or livestock.
CAPTIVE WHALES
OLYMPIA — A bill that would make Washington the first state to outlaw keeping whales, dolphins and porpoises in captivity at zoos and SeaWorld-style shows brought a cetaceans'-rights debate before a Senate committee. By Derrick Nunnally. SENT: 500 words.
VETERAN BEATEN
SPOKANE — A 17-year-old Spokane boy who admitted beating a World War II veteran to death during a robbery has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. SENT: 400 words.
OVERWEIGHT RECRUIT
OLYMPIA — Jeremy Phillips played football and competed in track at Black Hills High School in Tumwater where he graduated in 2012. But his weight had reached 300 pounds last year when he tried to enlist in the Army, and the Army said no, no, no. The 21-year-old was rejected three times because of his weight. SENT: 400 words.
FROM AP MEMBERS:
BAD OYSTER ILLNESS
MOUNT VERNON — Vibrio can be bad news for those who savor raw oysters — and the businesses that sell them. Vibrio is a naturally occurring bacteria that thrives in warm temperatures and can cause intestinal distress to those eating contaminated shellfish. While cooking can kill vibrio in oysters, many consumers prefer them raw. AP Member Exchange by Kimberly Cauvel, Skagit Valley Herald. SENT: 670 words.
SPORTS:
SEAHAWKS-SHERMAN'S BABY
RENTON — Just as Richard Sherman predicted, his new son was a disciplined young man. Sherman's girlfriend, Ashley Moss, gave birth to the couple's first child Thursday morning, four days after the Super Bowl. Sherman tweeted about the birth around 4 a.m. SENT: 160 words. AP Photo NY151.
SEAHAWKS-THOMAS
RENTON — The Seattle Seahawks' vaunted secondary was a beaten up group in the Super Bowl. Three of the four starters in Seattle's defensive backfield played with significant injuries in the 28-24 loss to New England. The latest to be confirmed was All-Pro free safety Earl Thomas, who has a torn labrum in his left shoulder and is scheduled for surgery. By Tim Booth. SENT: 330 words.
BKC--T25-GONZAGA-SANTA CLARA
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Byron Wesley scored 17 points and keyed a crucial second-half run that helped No. 2 Gonzaga rally for its 16th straight win with a 77-63 victory over Santa Clara on Thursday night. By Josh Dubow. SENT: 650 words, photos.
BKC--WASHINGTON ST-OREGON ST
CORVALLIS, Ore. — Jarmal Reid came off the bench to score 20 points and lead Oregon State past Washington State 55-50 Thursday night. By Kyle Odegard. SENT: 600 words and photos.
IN BRIEF:
— BELLINGHAM FAMILY DISPUTE — Bellingham couple who fled with 3 small children found in California; mother arrested.
— PIERCE DEATH SETTLEMENT — Pierce County to pay $750,000 to settle lawsuit in death of mentally ill man.
— PIMP SENTENCED — Pimp who exploited juvenile in 5 states sent to prison for 10 years.
— COAST GUARD RESCUE — Coast Guard copter plucks 3 injured men from cargo ship 50 miles off north Oregon coast.
— COUGAR-HORSE KILLED — Wildlife official: Apparent cougar attack kills horse in Kitsap County.
— NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND — Washington lawmakers make another bid for flexibility under federal No Child Left Behind law.
— SEAHAWKS DIG OBITUARY — Obit: 'We blame Seahawks lousy play for Mike's death'.
— EARNS-EXPEDIA — Expedia posts 4Q profit, results miss Wall Street estimates.
— UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON BOTHELL DORM — University of Washington Bothell building first dormitory.
— PORT SLOWDOWN-CHEHALIS — Port slowdown hurting Chehalis frozen food plant.
— BAINBRIDGE ISLAND BONES — Old Bainbridge Island bones not reported for 3 years.
— ZILLAH HOMICIDE — Test drive homicide: Outlook man accused of killing.

Air Force football recruiting: Signing day listBrent BriggemanThe Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)Because of the appointment process involved with entry into the Air Force Academy, and the fact that athletes are still recruitable to other teams while at the prep school, signatures collected by Air Force on national signing day are not technically binding and, subsequently, not released to the...

LINK . Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy compared one member of his 2015 signing class to a former Cowboy whose career pass receptions, receiving yards and touchdown receptions rank inside the top-10 in program history. Jalen McCleskey to Josh Stewart. “We’re hoping that (McCleskey) has the same side-to-side and make-you-miss movement that Josh has, but […]

Oklahoma State football: A closer look at Jalen McCleskey and why he's the only receiver in the 2015 signing class

Kyle Fredrickson | Feb 5, 2015

.
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy compared one member of his 2015 signing class to a former Cowboy whose career pass receptions, receiving yards and touchdown receptions rank inside the top-10 in program history.
Jalen McCleskey to Josh Stewart.
“We’re hoping that (McCleskey) has the same side-to-side and make-you-miss movement that Josh has, but much faster straightaway,” Gundy said. “He can really roll.”
Added offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich on okstate.com: “He is nifty inside and knows how to manipulate the defensive back. He has the speed to go and get the long ball.”
McCleskey — a 5-foot-10, 160-pound receiver from St. Pauls High School in Covington, La. — recorded more than 1,300 receiving yards between his junior and senior seasons.
His highlight tape features a number of impressive catch-and-runs:
.
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McCleskey certainly has good football genes. His father, J.J. McCleskey, played defensive back in the NFL for seven seasons.
Ken Sears, head coach at St. Pauls, described McCleskey’s development to The Times-Picayune newspaper before signing day.
“I remember as a freshman taking him to the Dome, and I think we played Acadiana; his pants and jersey were drooping off of him,” Sears said. “Just to see him become the player he has grown into, it’s exciting to see him get a chance to go to the next level. Every year, he certainly was one of those guys who you could see got better. From the beginning, you could see he had a high football IQ, and a lot of that is probably because of J.J.”
McCleskey is the only receiver in the Cowboys’ 2015 signing class. Gundy explained why: "We really have 10 guys coming back that are experienced for the most part. It's just not an area we need to address with that position."
He was spot on with that statement. Ten different OSU receivers caught at least one pass last season and each returns in 2015: David Glidden, Brandon Sheperd, James Washington, Marcell Ateman, Jhajuan Seales, Austin Hays, Chris Lacy, Ra’Shaad Samples, Kameron Doolittle and C.J. Curry.

For the third-straight season, Oklahoma State will benefit from the addition of a senior fifth-year transfer, as Indiana cornerback Michael Hunter committed to the Cowboys.
But unlike other members of the 2015 signing class, Hunter isn’t locked in with a National Letter of Intent. Hunter is currently bound to OSU by a financial aid agreement. It’s because he won’t graduate from IU until the spring.
So, despite being listed among the crop of new Cowboys, Hunter could still opt out and be immediately eligible to play elsewhere — unlike those players who signed NLIs.
But it appears OSU fans shouldn’t worry. Hunter told GoPokes.com he’s excited for his opportunity in Stillwater.
“I'm looking forward to it,” he said. “I haven't been to a bowl game, and I know that Oklahoma State has had a lot of success. The facilities were incredible, state-of-the-art. We have some nice stuff up here, but it was overwhelming seeing all they have.”
JALEN MCCLESKY DRAWS BIG-TIME COMPARISON
OSU coach Mike Gundy compared one member of his 2015 signing class to a former Cowboy whose career pass receptions, receiving yards and touchdown receptions rank inside the top-10 in program history.
Jalen McCleskey to Josh Stewart.
“We’re hoping that (McCleskey) has the same side-to-side and make-you-miss movement that Josh has, but much faster straightaway,” Gundy said. “He can really roll.”
Added offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich on okstate.com: “He is nifty inside and knows how to manipulate the defensive back. He has the speed to go and get the long ball.”
McCleskey — a 5-foot-10, 160-pound receiver from St. Pauls High School in Covington, La. — recorded more than 1,300 receiving yards between his junior and senior seasons.
McCleskey certainly has good football genes. His father, J.J. McClesky, played defensive back in the NFL for seven seasons.
Ken Sears, head coach at St. Pauls, described McCleskey’s development to The Times-Picayune newspaper before signing day.
“I remember as a freshman taking him to the Dome, and I think we played Acadiana; his pants and jersey were drooping off of him,” Sears said. “Just to see him become the player he has grown into, it’s exciting to see him get a chance to go to the next level. Every year, he certainly was one of those guys who you could see got better. From the beginning, you could see he had a high football IQ, and a lot of that is probably because of J.J.”
McClesky is the only receiver in the Cowboys’ 2015 signing class. Gundy explained why: “We really have 10 guys coming back that are experienced for the most part. It's just not an area we need to address with that position.”
He was spot on with that statement. Ten different OSU receivers caught at least one pass last season and each returns in 2015: David Glidden, Brandon Sheperd, James Washington, Marcell Ateman, Jhajuan Seales, Austin Hays, Chris Lacy, Ra’Shaad Samples, Kameron Doolittle and C.J. Curry.
SIGNING CLASS FAILS TO CRACK TOP-25 RANKINGS
For the first time since 2009, the Cowboys’ signing class was not ranked inside the top-25 nationally. But Gundy says that’s not a concern.
“I used to put a lot of stock in that,” Gundy said. “We’ve had so many players that come in here and may be rated really high. The mental makeup, the physical makeup — they’re just not into it. And then we get some players that come in here that aren’t (highly rated), but football is really important to them, they have a burning desire and they understand how to compete.”
Here’s how various recruiting services ranked OSU’s 2015 signing class.
ESPN: No. 34
Rivals: No. 38
Scout: No. 39
247Sports: No. 40

The Oregon Ducks added an intriguing prospect at quarterback on national signing day, while still waiting on Vernon Adams to decide whether he stays at Eastern Washington or heads to Eugene.Travis Waller made it official Wednesday, although he announced his decision back in December. He's planning to be in school in time for spring football at Oregon, joining five other early enrollees.Waller,...

QB Travis Waller is official; Ducks wait on Vernon Adams

By ANNE M. PETERSON, Associated Press | Feb 4, 2015

The Oregon Ducks added an intriguing prospect at quarterback on national signing day, while still waiting on Vernon Adams to decide whether he stays at Eastern Washington or heads to Eugene.
Travis Waller made it official Wednesday, although he announced his decision back in December. He's planning to be in school in time for spring football at Oregon, joining five other early enrollees.
Waller, a 6-foot-3, 185-pound dual-threat, is a four-star recruit out of Servite High School in Southern California, where he passed for 1,797 yards and 12 touchdowns, and ran for 815 yards and 13 scores his senior year. Often compared to Dennis Dixon, he has only played at QB for two years and is a likely redshirt in the upcoming season.
Oregon is looking at its options at quarterback following the early departure of Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, who set a Pac-12 record for total touchdowns this past season with 58, including 42 via pass, 15 on the run and one touchdown catch. He also set the conference mark for career touchdowns with 136.
Mariota declared his eligibility for the NFL draft shortly after the Ducks fell to Ohio State in the first College Football Playoff championship game. Oregon finished the season ranked No. 2.
Mariota's heir apparent right now is Jeff Lockie, the backup last season who attempted 27 passes, completing 21 for 207 yards and a touchdown.
But many fans were looking at FCS All-America Adams, who will graduate from Eastern Washington in June. NCAA rules allow a player who has completed his degree to transfer to another school without sitting out a season. The Eagles must sign off on the deal.
Adams visited the Ducks for three days over this past weekend, but so far has been mum about his choice — whether to stick with the Eagles for another season or join the Ducks. He was not bound by signing day rules, so there was no telling when he might make a decision.
The Ducks also brought aboard five-star defensive end Canton Kaumatule, a 6-foot-2, 280-pounder from Hawaii who went to Punahou School, same as Oregon senior defensive end DeForest Buckner. Like Waller, Kaumatule made his decision early and is already on campus.
Oregon scored three of the top all-purpose backs in the country, Taj Griffin (5-foot-10, 175 pounds) of Powder Springs, Georgia, Malik Lovette (5-11, 180) of Redlands, California, and Kirk Merritt (5-11, 206) of Destrehan, Louisiana.
Four-star recruits included cornerback Ugo Amadi (5-9, 182) from Nashville, guard Zack Okun (6-3, 327) from Newburg, California, and wide receiver Alex Ofodile (6-2, 185) from Missouri.
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OREGON
Top 25 Class: Yes
Best in class: Canton Kaumatule, DE, Hawaii.
Best of the rest: Travis Waller, QB, Anaheim, California
Late addition: Jonah Moi, LB, Riverside City College, originally committed to Washington State but flipped Tuesday night
One that got away: Rasheem Green, DT, Gardena, California, signed with USC

GETTING TO KNOW DAHU GREEN -- There's much more to the Westmoore High School receiver who signed Wednesday with Oklahoma than SportsCenter highlights and recruiting flips.

OU football: Five things to know about Sooner signee Dahu Green

Mike Sherman | Feb 4, 2015

Dahu Green wasn't on the Oklahoma Sooners' radar until new offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley arrived.
A few days after receiving an OU offer, Green signed with the Sooners on Wednesday. Those who follow recruiting know Green was previously committed to Louisville and Washington State. But there's much more to the Westmoore High School receiver than recruiting twists and turns or even his SportsCenter catch.
Here's five things to know about Dahu Green, culled from Scott Wright's story on Green in the Oct. 9 editions of The Oklahoman.
You can read that story here.
1. Dahu and his seven sisters.
He grew up in California with seven older sisters and a single mother.
His sisters call Green the glue that holds the family together, proven in the fact that over the last two years, five of them have moved to Oklahoma City.
“Dahu was everybody’s baby,” Gordon said. “All seven girls had their own ways of taking care of him.”
2. Dahu and his mother escaped from Southern California.
“I was done out there,” Gordon said of the move she made two years ago. “We left most of our stuff behind. Dahu had two bags and I had three. We got on a Greyhound bus on Friday, got to Oklahoma City on Sunday, and Dahu was enrolled at Westmoore on Monday.”
3. Evelyn Gordon had no idea her son was this good.
One day last spring, following a football practice at Westmoore High School, Evelyn Gordon approached coach Adam Gaylor to ask why her son, Dahu Green, was getting all these recruiting phone calls and letters from colleges across the country.
“She asked me, ‘Coach, what’s all the fuss about Dahu?’” Gaylor recalls with a laugh. “I told her, well, he’s a pretty special player. I’ve never been around one like him.”
“Well, I just don’t see it,” Gordon responded.
4. This helped convince her.
Dahu's spectacular one-handed touchdown catch against Norman topped ESPN SportsCenter's neighborhood top-10 plays of the week.
5. Mom keeps him humble.
“I gotta give mom her props,” Dahu said. “She’s been working her whole life, gets up at 4 in the morning and goes to work. Coming home and raising eight kids. She’s just naturally a hard worker. She hustles. We all learned a lot from watching her. That’s just how she is. That’s my mom.”

There are not many high school football players with more exciting highlight reels than Edmond Memorial’s Warren Wand.
The small, shifty running back has a knack for making tacklers miss and look foolish, reminiscent of Barry Sanders. Edmond Memorial opponents did not want to punt the ball to Wand, where his elusiveness was reminiscent of Joe Washington.
Wand finished his career at Edmond...

There are not many high school football players with more exciting highlight reels than Edmond Memorial’s Warren Wand.
The small, shifty running back has a knack for making tacklers miss and look foolish, reminiscent of Barry Sanders. Edmond Memorial opponents did not want to punt the ball to Wand, where his elusiveness was reminiscent of Joe Washington.
Wand finished his career at Edmond Memorial with 5,085 yard rushing, and that includes almost one full season where the Bulldogs experimented with Wand at quarterback.
He scored 48 touchdowns in his career and finished as the school’s second leading rusher and scorer all-time, only behind former Edmond Memorial standout Mark Olbert who played running back for the Bulldogs in the mid-‘70s and then at Texas Tech.
Wand, who ranked No. 16 on The Oklahoman’s Super 30 list of high school football players in the state, signed with Arkansas State on Wednesday, staying with the school he committed to last year before his high school senior season.
Edmond Memorial head football coach Justin Merideth thinks the Red Wolves are stealing one of the state’s best players.
“Arkansas State is getting a stud,” Merideth said Wednesday morning during the signing day ceremony at Edmond Memorial High School.
Wand is “a hard runner, very quick, very elusive, has great hands,” Merideth said. “They’ve (Arkansas State coaches) told me, their first game next year is at Southern Cal, and they expect him to be on the field playing against the Trojans, so that ought to be pretty fun.”
Wand said no other schools tried to lure him away from Arkansas State in the weeks before signing day. Merideth thinks many colleges in the area will one day regret not offering Wand. His size (5-foot-7, 170 pounds) scared some recruiters away.
“I don’t know what more he can do,” Merideth said. “He can’t grow three more inches, but other than that he is strong, he is powerful, he is smart. He can do a million different things (on the football field).
“I know those guys have certain requirements and things they look for but Warren is special and I think he will make a name for himself in college football.”
Wand, who was all smiles and sporting a bow tie at Wednesday’s signing day ceremony, said he has nothing to prove to all of the other bigger schools that overlooked him. He is happy to be at Arkansas State.
“I just want to go out there and do my best and work hard and hopefully get on the field,” Wand said. “I love the coaches. They are a great group of guys. They are one big family.”
Wand was the kind of football player in high school that will be hard for Edmond Memorial to replace.
“We’re going to miss him,” Merideth said. “I am really upset that he is leaving. He is a great kid. He is the best. He is everything you want in an athlete and a young man and a football player.”

Spend a few hours on national signing day watching teenagers pick hats in their high school gymnasiums and you might find it hard to believe that the vast majority of top football prospects have long ago made their choice of colleges.Those who do hold out tend to get a lot of attention — especially when they are among the best players in country.This year, several five-star prospects are set to...

Signing day: Cowart, Ivey lead best uncommitted recruits

By RALPH D. RUSSO, Associated Press | Feb 3, 2015

Spend a few hours on national signing day watching teenagers pick hats in their high school gymnasiums and you might find it hard to believe that the vast majority of top football prospects have long ago made their choice of colleges.
Those who do hold out tend to get a lot of attention — especially when they are among the best players in country.
This year, several five-star prospects are set to announce where they will attend school on signing day. A look at the players expected to produce the most drama and excitement on Wednesday, when college football teams re-stock their shelves with fresh talent.
1) Byron Cowart, LB, 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, Armwood (Florida) High School. The No. 1 player on the board according to both Rivals and ESPN, he seemed destined for Florida until the Gators fired coach Will Muschamp. When Muschamp landed the defensive coordinator job at Auburn, Cowart turned his attention to the Tigers. Cowart reportedly tore up the practices for the Under Armour All-America Game and has the look of a player who could turn into a menace of a pass rusher.
"This kid really loves to play the game and I think that sometimes can be an overlooked trait in the evaluation process," ESPN national recruiting director Tom Luginbill said. "Some guys, they're living for it. I think he's that type of guy. There's a tremendous amount of drive and passion for the game. I don't think it's necessarily something that can be taught."
2) Martez Ivey, OT, 6-5½, 275 pounds, Apopka (Fla.) High School. Another player choosing between Auburn and Florida, though he was considering Auburn even before Muschamp made the move. An athletic and well-rounded lineman, Ivey has room to grow and gain weight. The top-rated offensive lineman in this class.
3) Iman Marshall, CB, 6-1, 190, Long Beach (California) Poly. Scouts love tall corners. Marshall is a 6-1 and 190 pounds, fast and physical. Jim Harbaugh and Michigan are making a late charge to pull him away from Southern California and UCLA. Florida, LSU and Notre Dame also will be hoping Marshall picks them.
4) CeCe Jefferson, DE, 6-2, 250, Baker County (Florida) Senior. Despite being a little short for an elite pass rusher, Jefferson displays a variety of moves and strong hands. Another five-star with Florida and Auburn on his list, but the analysts are leaning more toward an Alabama or Mississippi decision for him. Florida State and LSU also in the mix.
5) SoSo Jamabo, RB/athlete, 6-2 1/2, 210, Plano West (Texas) High School. If nothing else, Jamabo's got a sense of humor. He tweeted last week that his choices were down to The University of Phoenix and ITT Technical Institute. Now that it's time to get serious, he'll pick between UCLA and Texas.
"What position he plays is also going to be interesting tracking at the next level," Luginbill said.
His frame suggests a possible move to linebacker or strong safety. Or maybe he could follow in the footsteps of UCLA's Myles Jack and Washington's Shaq Thompson and play both sides of the ball.
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Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP

Westmoore wide receiver Dahu Green didn't wait until signing day to make his decision public.
Green, who had been committed to Washington State for less than a month, flipped to Oklahoma on Monday. He announced his decision on Twitter.
Green picked up an offer from the Sooners last week and took an official visit to Norman over the weekend.
The 6-foot-4, 190-pound Green is No. 4 on The Oklahoman's Super 30 recruiting rankings for the class of 2015. As a senior, he had 943 yards and 12 touchdowns on 56 catches and earned Oklahoman All-State honors.
The Rivals.com three-star prospect had offers that included Indiana, Louisville, Boise State and Cincinnati. Green was committed to Louisville before switching to Washington State last month.
Green is the 22nd commitment in the 2015 class for the Sooners and the fourth wide receiver. OU picked up its third, Dallas Bishop Dunne's A.D. Miller, just Sunday night.
He's also the fourth in-state commit for the Sooners, joining Jenks defensive tackle Marquise Overton, Midwest City safety Will Sunderland and McAlester athlete Dalton Wood.
Green's commitment is non-binding. Signing day is Wednesday.
OSU OFFERS RINGLING’S DANIEL
Though Oklahoma State lost its offensive line coach, it hasn’t stopped pursuing prospects for that unit, extending an offer to Baylor commit Riley Daniel of Ringling on Monday.
Former OSU offensive line coach Bob Connelly is joining the USC coaching staff in the same capacity, according to reports. But Johnny Barr, OSU’s director of recruiting, called Daniel on Monday to extend the scholarship offer, the family said.
Just two days before National Signing Day, it could be difficult for the Cowboys to change Daniel’s mind. He verbally committed to Baylor on Jan. 25 during his official visit to the campus.
Daniel, 6-foot-6, 300 pounds, was an All-State selection and is No. 9 on The Oklahoman’s Super 30 recruit rankings.
DALLAS SAFETY VISITS OU
Oklahoma hosted four prospects last weekend, and one of them was a surprise visitor.
Dallas South Oak Cliff safety Prentice McKinney — who flipped his commitment from Notre Dame to North Carolina in late January — visited Norman along with linebacker Arthur McGinnis and wide receivers A.D. Miller and Dahu Green.
Miller committed to Oklahoma on Sunday evening, and Green — a Westmoore standout and current Washington State commit — committed Monday.
McGinnis has yet to make his commitment.
McKinney (6-2, 180 pounds) is a four-star prospect and the 19th-ranked safety in the 2015 recruiting class, according to Rivals. He holds offers from Arizona State, Arkansas, Michigan, Nebraska, TCU and UCLA, among others.
In an interview with Rivals.com on Monday, McKinney said that cornerback Zack Sanchez was his host for his visit to OU.
“I’m still North Carolina, but I’m still thinking about other things,” McKinney told the website. “At the end of the day, it’s gonna be the best choice for me and my family.
“The trip was nice. It was a great program. The facility was nice. The football players showed me a good time, and I like the environment up there.”
The Sooners already have two safeties committed in the 2015 class — Midwest City’s Will Sunderland and Waco (Texas) Midway’s Kahlil Haughton.
MWC’S HARRISON SWITCHES TO NORTH TEXAS
DeMikal Harrison is still Texas-bound, just not as far south.
The 6-foot-5, 290-pound defensive lineman had verbally committed to UTEP last week, but on Sunday night, he announced his change of plans. Harrison posted on Twitter that he had committed to North Texas.
Tulsa had also offered Harrison a scholarship recently.
LAWTON’S SADLER SWITCHES COMMITMENT
After verbally committing to Northern Iowa last week, Lawton receiver Kalin Sadler reopened his commitment and committed to an entirely different school in a matter of hours Monday.
Sadler committed to Abilene Christian, following his former quarterback Dallas Sealey to the Division I program.
He announced the decision and his excitement to join Sealey on his Twitter page.
Sadler caught 47 passes for 915 yards and 12 touchdowns last season while helping the Wolverines reach the Class 6A-II state championship game.
CASADY’S MORRIS HAS CHANCE AT OSU
Casady senior Colin Morris has four scholarship offers, but he also has the chance to be a preferred walk-on at Oklahoma State.
Morris recently picked up an offer from Montana, joining Air Force, Colorado School of Mines and Oklahoma Baptist.
He started his only season with the Cyclones at receiver — where he’ll likely play collegiately — but moved to quarterback with the injury to T’Quan Wallace. Morris led the Cyclones to the Southwest Preparatory Conference championship game, accounting for 12 touchdowns the entire season.
Morris transferred from Westmoore over the summer.
JUCO RUNNING BACK CHRIS CARSON PICKS OSU OVER UGA
Chris Carson — a three-star rated, 6-foot-2, 220-pound running back from Butler Community College (Kan.) — told the Atlanta Journal Constitution last week he was “70-to-80 percent” solid on his commitment to Georgia.
But Carson changed his mind Monday and will play for OSU next season, first reported by gopokes.com.
“It’s a better opportunity," Carson told the website. "I was looking for playing time right away and that is a school where I can get it. Coach (Mike) Gundy said he understands guys looking to get to the NFL."
Carson rushed for 994 yards and nine touchdowns last season. With two years of junior college football under his belt, he is expected to compete for the starting running back spot with returning rising junior Rennie Childs.
JOSHUA JONES FLIPS ON OSU, PICKS HOUSTON
Joshua Jones — a three-star rated offensive tackle from Bush High School (Texas) — announced Monday on Twitter he was decommitting from OSU for Houston. Jones’ departure comes a day after scout.com reported OSU offensive line coach Bob Connelly was leaving the Cowboys for the same position with USC.
OSU added three offensive linemen during the mid-year transfer signing period and still has two verbal commitments from high school prospects.

The rise of seven-on-seven in high school, integration of spread offenses in college and the visibility of NFL stars have, in some ways, redefined the defensive back position

The evolution of defensive backs: Analyzing the development, recruitment and play of safeties and cornerbacks

By Kyle Fredrickson, Staff Writer | Feb 2, 2015

Back in 1984, Oklahoma State coach Pat Jones had two defensive backs selected in the NFL Draft. Cleveland nabbed Chris Rockins in the second round. The LA Rams picked Rod Fisher in the 12th.
However, what these players became is as noteworthy as where they began. Jones was the Cowboy assistant who signed both out of high school.
“Rockins was a very lightly recruited guy that I almost overlooked, but he long jumped over 24 feet,” Jones said. “Fisher was a split-back veer quarterback.”
A common scenario in those days: Have a talented athlete lost on a skill-position depth chart? Throw him in at cornerback or safety.
Not anymore.
Tuesday night’s presentation of the Jim Thorpe Award in Oklahoma City given to college football’s top defensive back and Signing Day on Wednesday provides a fitting time line to examine the evolution of the position.
Jones argues, “football players are football players, regardless of generations,” but changes at the high school level have made an imprint on the college and professional game. Gerod Holliman — the 2014 Jim Thorpe winner from Louisville — is a good example.
“I knew I wanted to be a defensive back before I got to high school,” Holliman said. “I played corner most of my life in Pop Warner growing up.”
With the integration and success of the spread offense, like so many top prep programs in warm-climate areas, Holliman’s high school team in Miami played extensively in seven-on-seven summer leagues. The pass-happy format gave Holliman countless game-speed repetitions that allowed him to develop his talents. It also aided those recruiting Holliman to play at the next level.
“With as much seven-on-seven stuff,” Jones said, “it’s easier to evaluate defensive backs and wideouts probably than it was back before there was much of that.”
Increased visibility leads to increased scrutiny.
Andy Bogert — a 27-year Oklahoma high school football coaching veteran who retired after leading Heritage Hall on its 3A state championship run last season — says pure athleticism for defensive backs isn’t enough. College recruiters are searching for speed, soft hands, hard hitters, flexible hips, leaping ability and more.
“You’ve got to find an unbelievable athlete to play defensive back in college or pro football,” Bogert said. “Before, you could have gotten away with a big guy that can run a little bit and really tackle.”
Here’s where it gets even trickier.
Holliman was well-deserved in winning the Thorpe Award this year. His 14 picks tied the NCAA record for single-season interceptions set by Al Worley (Washington) in 1968. Two of Holliman’s picks came against Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston of Florida State.
He credits his success to, “capitalizing on all the mistakes of the offense and the different schemes that the coach put me in.” But are interceptions a true measure of a defensive backs worth?
Darqueze Dennard, a Michigan State turned Cincinnati Bengal cornerback, won the Thorpe Award in 2013. He recorded just four interceptions that season.
“I probably went five or six games where the quarterback didn’t throw to my side once,” Dennard said. “If you can take out a player, that’s huge in the game.”
While the merits of taking a possession away and taking a threat away can be debated, there’s no doubt dominant defensive back play has become popularized in recent years. The Patriots’ Darrelle Revis and the Seahawks’ Richard Sherman have made sure of that, each becoming household names through their play and often brash public personas.
That’s how it all loops back to the high school level. Just look at the latest edition of the Madden football video game series. In 2015, Sherman graces the cover.
“As a kid growing up, I saw Michael Vick on the Madden game, I wanted to be like him,” Dennard said. “Now it’s the first-time ever to have a cornerback on the (cover). You’ve got big household names at the position.
“Watching the game and listening to commentators saying this and that about them, you might have a different mindset about it. Instead of wanting to play quarterback, you might want to play defensive back.”

Jeff Carr envisioned himself as a Big 12 tailback. So, the 5-foot-8, 170-pound speedster from Temple High School (Texas) brushed off scholarship offers from mid-major and I-AA schools. With just four days left until National Signing Day, Carr was still waiting for the right opportunity.

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Jeff Carr envisioned himself as a Big 12 tailback.
So, the 5-foot-8, 170-pound speedster from Temple High School (Texas) brushed off scholarship offers from mid-major and I-AA schools. With just four days left until National Signing Day, Carr was still waiting for the right opportunity.
"He stepped away on faith," said Temple coach Mike Spradlin.
The decision paid off. Carr tweeted late Saturday he committed to Oklahoma State.
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I have officially committed to Oklahoma state university
— Juke God (@PbaJeffCarr) January 31, 2015
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Carr told gopokes.com how it came together: "I really didn’t have anything going. You know, they had their running back (Ronald Jones) decommit and go to USC.
“Coach Hammer (Dan Hammerschmidt) knew about me, and he had been coaching the running backs at Houston. He and Coach (Jemal) Singleton, the running backs coach, put my name out there and it happened this afternoon. I don’t even know what time. I’m excited and I know I can play in the Big 12.”
Carr goes by the name "Juke God" on Twitter (@PbaJeffCarr) and has a highlight tape to match. His ability to make horizontal cuts and burst upfield is apparent from the first play.
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"He's an absolutely unbelievable athlete," Spradlin said. "His speed and his ability to make guys miss is unlike anybody I've ever coached. It's just crazy."
Carr rushed for 1,710 on 179 carries on Temple's run all the way to the 5A Division I state championship last season. But while Temple quarterback Chad President (a four-star rated Baylor, then Tulsa, pledge) received five Division-I offers, Carr was often overlooked.
Those power programs might have had concerns about what Carr couldn't control -- his smaller-than-average stature for an every-down Big 12 tailback.
"In Jeff's case, it's kind of an asset for him," Spradlin said. "But some schools are more interested in size than others."
OSU was one of a few teams that made a late push for Carr. Spradlin says Kansas ramped up its efforts this past week and Texas Tech showed interest during the summer.
But Spradlin called OSU, "a great fit," and says Carr shouldn't give the Cowboys any trouble on or off the field.
"He's not a low maintenance guy," Spradlin said. "He's a no maintenance guy."
WHAT IT MEANS FOR OSU
While Carr's commitment solidifies a missing piece of OSU coach Mike Gundy's now 19-member 2015 recruiting class, don't expect the Cowboys to stop their pursuit of other running backs. Carr is a nice addition to the returning corps alongside rising junior Rennie Childs and rising redshirt freshman Sione Palelei. But the Cowboys could use a more prototypical power back as well.
Here's where OSU currently stands on three more potential tailback prospects.
Chris Carson (Butler Community College, Kan.): Carson told the Atlanta Journal Constitution last week that he is "70-to-80 percent" committed to Georgia. But he also said, "I've got to think about the playing time I'm going to get at Georgia. I know they have plenty of depth at running back."
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Oklahoma st visit #6⃣Era pic.twitter.com/bQ3vJ78YHM
— Chris Carson 〽️ (@chriscarson29) January 25, 2015
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Carson, who has been vocal about his desire to play in the NFL, explained the Cowboys' recruiting pitch.
"They didn't really show me the UGA depth chart," Carson said. "They went down the list of past running backs that UGA had and the past running backs that they had (at OSU). They said they put more running backs in the NFL than UGA over the last 10 years. They showed me that, and they showed me how they had more 1,000-yard rushers than UGA over that period."
Carson said he would make his choice by the end of the week.
Devonte Williams (Bullis School, Md.): Williams, a Marshall commit, tweeted late Thursday that Oklahoma State offered him a scholarship. He's a three-star rated recruit and the Cowboys were the first from the Big 12 to jump in.
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Just received an Offer from Oklahoma State #Big12 http://t.co/ybJH4G1Q20
— Devonte williams (@TheMatrix1_) January 29, 2015
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Williams made an official visit to Indiana this weekend. SMU, Hawaii and Buffalo have also offered scholarships, per Rivals.
Chris Warren (Rockwall High School, Texas): Warren made official visits to Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Washington. Now, he has a decision to make. He tweeted (@scorealldayCW25) on Sunday his appreciation of those who recruited him through the process:
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I have the utmost respect for the coaches that I have come in contact with these past couple of weeks, I really appreciate your hospitality
— Chris Warren III (@ScorealldayCW25) February 1, 2015

The 5-foot-8, 170-pound speedster from Temple High School (Texas) brushed off scholarship offers from mid-major and I-AA schools. With just four days left until National Signing Day, Carr was still waiting for the right opportunity.

Jeff Carr envisioned himself as a Big 12 tailback.
So, the 5-foot-8, 170-pound speedster from Temple High School (Texas) brushed off scholarship offers from mid-major and I-AA schools. With just four days left until National Signing Day, Carr was still waiting for the right opportunity.
“He stepped away on faith,” said Temple coach Mike Spradlin.
The decision paid off. Carr tweeted late Saturday he committed to Oklahoma State. He told gopokes.com how it came together: “I really didn't have anything going. You know, they had their running back (Ronald Jones) decommit and go to USC.
“Coach Hammer (Dan Hammerschmidt) knew about me, and he had been coaching the running backs at Houston. He and Coach (Jemal) Singleton, the running backs coach, put my name out there and it happened this afternoon. I don't even know what time. I'm excited and I know I can play in the Big 12.”
Carr goes by the name “Juke God” on Twitter (@PbaJeffCarr) and has a highlight tape to match. His ability to make horizontal cuts and burst upfield is apparent from the first play.
“He’s an absolutely unbelievable athlete,” Spradlin said. “His speed and his ability to make guys miss is unlike anybody I’ve ever coached. It’s just crazy.”
Carr rushed for 1,710 yards on 179 carries on Temple’s run all the way to the 5A Division I state championship last season. But while Temple quarterback Chad President (a four-star rated Baylor, then Tulsa, pledge) received five Division-I offers, Carr was often overlooked.
Those power programs might have had concerns about what Carr couldn’t control — his smaller-than-average stature for an every-down Big 12 tailback.
“In Jeff’s case, it’s kind of an asset for him,” Spradlin said. “But some schools are more interested in size than others.”
OSU was one of a few teams that made a late push for Carr. Spradlin says Kansas ramped up its efforts this past week and Texas Tech showed interest during the summer.
But Spradlin called OSU, “a great fit,” and says Carr shouldn’t give the Cowboys any trouble on or off the field.
“He’s not a low maintenance guy,” Spradlin said. “He’s a no maintenance guy.”
WHAT IT MEANS FOR OSU
While Carr’s commitment solidifies a missing piece of OSU coach Mike Gundy’s now 19-member 2015 recruiting class, don’t expect the Cowboys to stop their pursuit of other running backs. Carr is a nice addition to the returning corps alongside rising junior Rennie Childs and rising redshirt freshman Sione Palelei. But the Cowboys could use a more prototypical power back as well.
Here’s where OSU currently stands on three more potential tailback prospects.
Chris Carson (Butler Community College, Kan.): Carson told the Atlanta Journal Constitution last week that he is “70-to-80 percent” committed to Georgia. But he also said, “I’ve got to think about the playing time I’m going to get at Georgia. I know they have plenty of depth at running back.”
Carson, who has been vocal about his desire to play in the NFL, explained the Cowboys’ recruiting pitch.
“They didn’t really show me the UGA depth chart,” Carson said. “They went down the list of past running backs that UGA had and the past running backs that they had (at OSU). They said they put more running backs in the NFL than UGA over the last 10 years. They showed me that, and they showed me how they had more 1,000-yard rushers than UGA over that period.”
Carson said he would make his choice by the end of the week.
Devonte Williams (Bullis School, Md.): Williams, a Marshall commit, tweeted late Thursday that Oklahoma State offered him a scholarship. He’s a three-star rated recruit and the Cowboys were the first from the Big 12 to jump in.
Williams made an official visit to Indiana this weekend. SMU, Hawaii and Buffalo have also offered scholarships, per Rivals.
Chris Warren (Rockwall High School, Texas): Warren made official visits to Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Washington. Now, he has a decision to make. He tweeted (@scorealldayCW25) on Sunday his appreciation of those who recruited him through the process: I have the utmost respect for the coaches that I have come in contact with these past couple of weeks, I really appreciate your hospitality.

A list of some notable multi-sport athletes from Oklahoma high schools who went on to have standout careers in college and beyond.

Multi-sport Oklahomans: A look at some football stars from Oklahoma who excelled at multiple sports

BY BERRY TRAMEL | Feb 1, 2015

More and more high school athletes are becoming specialized, concentrating on only one sport. But plenty of standout athletes have excelled despite playing multiple sports. Since 1990, here are some of the Oklahoma high school players who made the NFL or became elite college players after playing multiple sports in high school.
Stephen Alexander, 1994, Chickasha: Before he went to OU and on to the NFL, Alexander was a hoops standout in Chickasha.
Raymond Austin, 1993, Lawton Eisenhower: Austin was a hurdling star in high school, then made the NFL out of the University of Tennessee.
Billy Bajema, 2001, Westmoore: Bajema was hailed as a baseball phenom as a freshman at Westmoore. But he also played football and chose the gridiron over the diamond after high school, going to OSU and then on to the NFL as a tight end.
Justin Blackmon, 2008, Plainview: Blackmon physically manhandled college defensive backs while winning two Biletnikoff Awards at OSU. But Blackmon also physically manhandled high school basketball foes of Plainview.
Sam Bradford, 2006, Putnam North: You name it, Bradford excelled in it. Football, basketball, golf, even hockey. Bradford focused on football at OU — and won the 2008 Heisman Trophy. He was the 2010 overall No. 1 NFL draft pick.
Josh Fields, 2001, Stillwater: Fields was a great quarterback and power hitter not only at Stillwater High School, but OSU. Fields eventually made the major leagues with the Chicago White Sox.
Kelly Gregg, 1995, Edmond North: The longtime NFL defensive lineman was a three-time state wrestling champion in Edmond.
Cale Gundy, 1990, Midwest City: Just like his brother, Cale was a record-setting quarterback but also a great high school baseball player.
Felix Jones, 2005, Tulsa Washington: Jones played several years as a Dallas Cowboys tailback, but he also was a starting guard on Booker T.’s 2005 state finals basketball team.
Curtis Lofton, 2005, Kingfisher: The NFL linebacker was a high school basketball standout for the Yellowjackets.
Alonzo Mayes, 1993, Douglass: The NFL tight end was a high school basketball star before going to OSU.
R.W. McQuarters, 1995, Tulsa Washington: Super Bowl-winning defensive back was a football and basketball star in high school — and played both sports at OSU.
T.J. Rushing, 2001, Pauls Valley: Rushing made the Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts, but before he went to Stanford, Rushing was a three-sport star at Pauls Valley, including winning four gold medals in the 2001 state track meet.
Brandon Weeden, Edmond Santa Fe, 2002: A football and baseball star, Weeden was a second-round draft pick of the Yankees in baseball, then 10 years later was a first-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in football.
Jason White, 1999, Tuttle: The 2003 Heisman Trophy winner was a basketball star at Tuttle.
Rashaun Woods, 1999, Millwood: OSU’s receiver extraordinaire led the Falcons to one of their many state basketball championships.